Prime Minister interacts with MPs from BRICS nations during the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in New Delhi

1. At a Glance

• The 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum is being held in New Delhi in 2026. On 26 October 2026, PM Narendra Modi met parliamentarians from BRICS nations attending it [1].
• The Forum is the legislative (inter-parliamentary) track of BRICS. It works alongside the governments' track (summits and ministerial meetings) [1][3].
• India hosts it during its BRICS Chairship 2026 [3]. The Forum's chair passed to India at the 11th Forum in Brasília (2025) [2].
• UPSC relevance: GS-II (India and groupings, parliamentary diplomacy), plus Prelims facts on BRICS institutions and the 2026 calendar.

2. Why in the News

• 26 October 2026: the PM interacted with BRICS MPs during the ongoing 12th Forum in New Delhi. They "exchanged perspectives on a wide range of issues". The release does not name the issues or any outcomes [1].
• The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) issued the release. The PM also posted about the meeting on X (@narendramodi) the same day [1].
• The Forum is one of a series of BRICS meetings India is hosting under its 2026 Chairship [3][4][5].

3. Background & Evolution

• 4–5 June 2025: the 11th BRICS Parliamentary Forum was held in Brasília, Brazil. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla led India's delegation [2].
• At the close of the 11th Forum, India was given the hosting of the 12th Forum "next year" (2026), and Om Birla formally took over the chairmanship [2][6].
• The 11th Forum included the parliaments of all 10 member countries, India among them [6].
• 1 January 2026: India took over the BRICS Chairship. A PIB background note describes it as India's fourth [3].
• 12–13 September 2026: India is the scheduled host of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi [3].
• 26 October 2026: the 12th Forum is under way in New Delhi, and the PM meets the delegates [1].
• Not verified: the Forum's founding year and earliest meetings did not appear in any whitelisted source found here, so they are left out.

4. Core Static Facts

Item	Fact	Source
Event	12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum	[1]
Host city	New Delhi	[1]
PM interaction date	26 October 2026	[1]
Issuing body (PIB release)	Prime Minister's Office (PMO)	[1]
Previous (11th) Forum	Brasília, Brazil, 4–5 June 2025	[2]
Indian delegation leader at 11th Forum	Om Birla, Speaker, Lok Sabha	[2]
Chairmanship of 12th Forum	Handed to India (Om Birla) at end of 11th Forum	[2][6]
Participation at 11th Forum	Parliaments of all 10 member countries	[6]
India's BRICS Chairship	Took over 1 January 2026; described as India's 4th	[3]
18th BRICS Summit	New Delhi, 12–13 September 2026	[3]
Chairship 2026 theme (BRICS acronym)	"Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability"	[3]

• Definition: the BRICS Parliamentary Forum is a meeting of MPs from BRICS nations held alongside BRICS. It adds a legislative channel to cooperation among members [1].
• Parliamentary diplomacy: relations between countries conducted through their legislators, not only through governments. Here the head of the executive (the PM) engaged the legislative track [1].
• Constitutional note: the Forum has no enabling Indian Act. India takes part through Parliament's presiding officers (the Speaker led the delegation in 2025) [2].

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

Geopolitical / Strategic

• India is hosting the governments' track (18th Summit, 12–13 September 2026) and the parliamentary track (12th Forum) in the same year. This gives it agenda-setting power in an expanded grouping [3][1].
• The Forum brings together parliaments of 10 member countries, so India has a platform to engage a larger BRICS beyond the original five [6].
• The 2026 theme, "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability", frames the Chairship's priorities [3].

Governance / Democratic

• Parliamentary diplomacy brings legislative legitimacy to multilateral commitments that executives otherwise negotiate alone [1].
• The PM meeting visiting MPs shows the executive and legislature working together in foreign policy [1].
• The meeting was announced through both the PIB release (official record) and the PM's X post. This is a public-diplomacy signal [1].

Economic

• The Forum is one part of a wider Chairship calendar that includes the 16th BRICS Trade Ministers' Meeting in Jaipur [4], the 11th BRICS Energy Ministers' Meeting in Gurugram on 25–26 June 2026 [5], the 10th BRICS Industry Ministers' Meeting in Jaipur [7], and work on MSME cooperation [8].
• Legislators can help turn intra-BRICS economic agreements into domestic law.

Administrative

• India's Parliament (through the Speaker) holds the Forum's chairmanship, while the Chairship as a whole is run by the government. Two separate tracks are coordinated by the host [2][3].
• Sectoral tracks such as the first BRICS Health Working Group meeting of 2026 (New Delhi) show how widely the host country has to coordinate [9].

6. Recent Developments (last 12–18 months)

• 4–5 June 2025: 11th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in Brasília. India got the hosting of the 12th Forum, and Om Birla took over the chairmanship [2].
• 1 January 2026: India took over the BRICS Chairship [3].
• 2026: first BRICS Health Working Group meeting held in New Delhi [9].
• 25–26 June 2026: 11th BRICS Energy Ministers' Meeting, Gurugram [5].
• 2026: 10th BRICS Industry Ministers' Meeting concluded in Jaipur [7]. 16th BRICS Trade Ministers' Meeting concluded in Jaipur [4].
• 12–13 September 2026: 18th BRICS Summit, New Delhi (scheduled) [3].
• 26 October 2026: PM met BRICS MPs during the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum, New Delhi [1].

7. Prelims Hooks

• The 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum was hosted in New Delhi in 2026 [1].
• The PM met BRICS MPs on 26 October 2026 [1].
• The PIB release on this meeting was issued by the Prime Minister's Office, not the MEA [1].
• The 11th BRICS Parliamentary Forum was held in Brasília, 4–5 June 2025 [2].
• India's delegation at the 11th Forum was led by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla [2].
• India received the chairmanship of the 12th Forum at the close of the 11th Forum [2].
• The parliaments of all 10 BRICS member countries took part in the 11th Forum [6].
• India took over the BRICS Chairship on 1 January 2026, described as its fourth [3].
• The 18th BRICS Summit is in New Delhi, 12–13 September 2026 [3].
• India's Chairship theme expands the letters BRICS: "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability" [3].
• The 11th BRICS Energy Ministers' Meeting was held in Gurugram, 25–26 June 2026 [5].
• The 16th BRICS Trade Ministers' Meeting and the 10th BRICS Industry Ministers' Meeting were both held in Jaipur [4][7].

8. What the PIB Release Leaves Out, and Why That Matters

• The release tells us a meeting happened, not what came out of it
• It says only that the PM and MPs "exchanged perspectives on a wide range of issues" [1].
• It does not name any issue, any country that attended, or any decision [1].

• So the meeting cannot yet be judged on results. Only the Forum's final joint text can show that.

• The last Forum shows what a real result looks like

• At Brasília in 2025, the parliaments of all 10 members agreed a consensus document (one text that every member accepts) [6].
• It condemned the Pahalgam terror attack and committed members to "zero tolerance" against terrorism [6].

• That written commitment is the outcome. A meeting with no text, like the one in this release, gives an aspirant nothing to quote.

• How to use this in an answer

• Treat the 26 October meeting as a signal of political support from the head of government [1].
• Judge the 12th Forum by its final declaration, not by the PM's meeting.

9. Why the Parliaments Met After the Leaders Had Already Decided

• The order of meetings limits what MPs can shape
• The 18th BRICS Summit, where heads of government agree the main declaration, was held on 12–13 September 2026 [3].
• The Parliamentary Forum met about six weeks later, in late October [1].

• So the MPs could only respond to the leaders' agenda. They had no chance to feed ideas into it.

• This weakens the claim that the Forum "democratises" BRICS

• Democratising means letting elected representatives influence decisions, not just hear about them.

• When the legislative track meets after the executive track, its role shrinks to endorsing decisions already taken.

• What follows for a Mains answer

• Parliamentary diplomacy works alongside executive diplomacy. In this calendar, though, it came after the decisions rather than helping to make them [1][3].

10. Why Indian MPs Have Little Formal Power Over BRICS Commitments

• India's Parliament does not approve treaties before they are signed
• Under Article 73, the Union executive power (the government's power to act) covers matters on which Parliament can make laws, including foreign affairs.
• Entry 14 of the Union List places entering into treaties and agreements in this Union field.

• So the government signs and ratifies international agreements without a vote in Parliament.

• Parliament comes in only when a new law is needed

• Article 253 lets Parliament make laws to implement international agreements.

• Many BRICS outcomes, such as joint statements and declarations, need no new law. They never reach the House.

• So the note's claim needs a caution

• Section 5 says legislators can help turn BRICS agreements into domestic law.
• That is true only for the small set of commitments that need legislation. For the rest, Indian MPs at the Forum can discuss BRICS but cannot bind or block it.

11. Is the Forum Just Ceremony? The Strongest Case, and an Honest Reply

• The case against: it is mostly symbolic
• The Forum has no enabling Indian Act, and its texts do not bind any government (see section 4 of the note) [2].
• It works by consensus, so any one of the 10 parliaments can block wording it dislikes. The final text tends to be what the least willing member will accept [6].

• The PM's meeting produced no published outcome [1].

• What is right about this

• No court, ministry or parliament is legally bound by a Forum declaration.

• It cannot replace the Summit or ministerial meetings as the place where commitments are made.

• Why it still matters for India

• In 2025, India got its own anti-terror priorities into the consensus document [6]:
  • cutting off terror financing
  • sharing intelligence
  • stopping misuse of new technologies
  • cooperating on investigation and court processes
• All 10 parliaments condemned the Pahalgam attack by name [6].

• For India, getting a cross-border terror attack condemned by name in a group that includes China is a real diplomatic gain, even if the text is not binding.

• Balanced verdict

• The Forum does not make policy. It builds a written record of shared positions that India can quote in other forums.

12. What the Speaker and Government Should Do With the Chairmanship

• Lok Sabha Secretariat: publish the full New Delhi declaration
• For the 2025 Forum, the anti-terror language is known mainly through a press release, not the full text [6].

• Publishing the complete declaration would give MPs, researchers and other governments one fixed text to quote.

• The Speaker, as Forum chair: report back on the 2025 anti-terror commitments

• The 2025 document named four concrete areas: terror financing, intelligence sharing, misuse of technology, and judicial cooperation [6].
• India holds the chair in 2026 [2]. It can ask each parliament what it has done on these four areas since Brasília.

• A promise that nobody checks stays only on paper.

• Government and Parliament: fix the order of meetings in future

• In 2026, the Forum met after the Summit [1][3].

• India can propose to the next chair that the Forum meet before the leaders. That way, the MPs' views can reach the Summit declaration.

• Lok Sabha: place the Forum outcome before the House

• The Speaker can lay the final declaration on the table of the House (formally present it to Parliament) or send it to the Committee on External Affairs.
• This links what Indian MPs agree abroad to scrutiny by MPs at home.

13. Anchors for Answers

• Data: Parliaments of all 10 BRICS members condemned the Pahalgam terror attack and agreed on zero tolerance for terrorism at the 11th Forum, Brasília, 2025 [6]
• Data: The 18th BRICS Summit (12–13 September 2026) came about six weeks before the 12th Parliamentary Forum (late October 2026), so MPs met after the leaders' decisions [3][1]
• Law/Case: Article 73 (Union executive power) with Entry 14, Union List (treaties are a Union subject): the government signs agreements without Parliament's approval. Article 253: Parliament legislates only when a treaty needs a new law to be implemented

14. Mains Relevance

• GS-II: "Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests". "Parliament and State Legislatures — functioning" (the international role of presiding officers).
• GS-III (indirect): the economic cooperation tracks (trade, energy, MSMEs) under the Chairship.
• Plausible question stems: 1. Parliamentary diplomacy complements executive-led foreign policy. Discuss with reference to India's hosting of the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum. (150 words) 2. With BRICS now at ten members, examine the opportunities and challenges for India in using its 2026 Chairship to shape the grouping's agenda. (250 words) 3. Evaluate the role of inter-parliamentary forums in democratising multilateral groupings like BRICS. (150 words)

15. Related Topics to Study Next

• 18th BRICS Summit, New Delhi (2026): the governments' track running alongside the Forum.
• BRICS expansion (BRICS to 10 members): explains why the Forum now has 10 parliaments.
• New Development Bank and Contingent Reserve Arrangement: the core BRICS financial institutions.
• Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU): the global model for parliamentary diplomacy.
• G20 Parliamentary Speakers' Summit (P20): the equivalent forum in the G20, hosted by India in 2023.
• Role of the Lok Sabha Speaker in parliamentary diplomacy: the Speaker held the Forum's chairmanship.
• BRICS sectoral ministerial tracks (trade, energy, health, MSME): the 2026 Chairship's deliverables.

16. NCERT Concepts to Revise

• Union List (Polity): Foreign affairs and treaties sit in the Union List, so government signs BRICS commitments without Parliament's vote.
• Legislation to implement international agreements (Polity): Article 253 lets Parliament legislate only when an international agreement needs a domestic law to implement it.
• Speaker of the Lok Sabha (Polity): Speaker Om Birla led India's delegation and holds the Forum's chairmanship, making the presiding officer central to parliamentary diplomacy.
• Legislature (Polity): The Forum is the legislative track of BRICS; understanding the legislature's role explains parliamentary diplomacy.
• Executive (Polity): The note contrasts the executive-led summit track with the legislative Forum and the executive's treaty-making power.
• Prime Minister's Office (Polity): The PIB release on the MPs' meeting was issued by the PMO, a likely Prelims trap.

17. Common Errors / Trap Areas

• Forum vs Summit: the 12th Parliamentary Forum is not the 18th BRICS Summit. They are different tracks with different edition numbers [1][3].
• Issuing body: the PIB release came from the PMO, not the MEA or Lok Sabha Secretariat [1].
• Venue of the 11th Forum: it was in Brasília, not Rio de Janeiro [2].
• Making up outcomes: the release lists no specific issues, decisions or participating countries for the 26 October meeting. Don't attribute declarations to it [1].
• Who chairs the Forum: the chairmanship was formally given to the Lok Sabha Speaker (Om Birla), not the PM or the Rajya Sabha Chairman [2].