UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Text of Prime Minister's opening address during the 18th BRICS Summit session: "Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability: Shaping the Future for Inclusive Global Development"
Q1. Consider the following statements regarding the 18th BRICS Summit:
1. It was held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on 12–13 September 2026.
2. It was convened under India's fourth Chairship of BRICS, which commenced on 1 January 2026.
3. The BRICS Bharat Innovates Exposition was organised alongside it at the same venue on 11–12 September 2026.
4. India's Chairship for that year was guided by the theme 'Strengthening Global South Cooperation for a More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance'.
Which of the above is/are NOT correct?
- It was held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on 12–13 September 2026.
- It was convened under India's fourth Chairship of BRICS, which commenced on 1 January 2026.
- The BRICS Bharat Innovates Exposition was organised alongside it at the same venue on 11–12 September 2026.
- India's Chairship for that year was guided by the theme 'Strengthening Global South Cooperation for a More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance'.
- A. 1 and 3
- B. 2 only
- C. 4 only
- D. 2 and 4
Q2. Which one of the following is the nodal Union Government body that coordinated India's BRICS Chairship of 2026 and hosted the first meeting of BRICS Sherpas under that Chairship in New Delhi?
- A. Ministry of Commerce and Industry
- B. Ministry of External Affairs
- C. Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance
- D. Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India
Q3. Which one of the following statements about BRICS membership, as it stood at the time of the 18th Summit, is correct?
- A. Every full member of BRICS is also a member of the G20 grouping
- B. Indonesia became a full member of BRICS in January 2025
- C. All ten BRICS Partner countries designated in 2025 were granted full membership
- D. BRICS membership was permanently closed after the 2024 expansion round
Q4. Consider the following statements comparing the two most recent rounds of BRICS enlargement:
1. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the UAE became full members of BRICS with effect from 1 January 2024.
2. Indonesia, unlike the 2024 entrants, was first admitted to the Partner country category and was elevated to full membership only at the 17th Summit.
3. Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam came in during 2025 under a Partner country category created alongside the enlargement.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the UAE became full members of BRICS with effect from 1 January 2024.
- Indonesia, unlike the 2024 entrants, was first admitted to the Partner country category and was elevated to full membership only at the 17th Summit.
- Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam came in during 2025 under a Partner country category created alongside the enlargement.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1 and 3 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q5. The first-ever summit of the BRIC grouping at the level of Heads of State/Government was held at which city, and in which year?
- A. Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2009
- B. Sanya, China, in 2009
- C. Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2011
- D. Brasília, Brazil, in 2010
Q6. Consider the following statements about the evolution of 'BRIC' into 'BRICS':
1. The acronym 'BRIC' was first used in 2001 by Jim O'Neill, an economist with Goldman Sachs, in an exercise of economic forecasting.
2. The grouping came to be styled 'BRICS' after South Africa joined in 2011, its first summit as a member being the third summit, held at Sanya.
3. BRIC came into being in 2001 as an intergovernmental grouping constituted through a founding declaration issued by the governments of its four members.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The acronym 'BRIC' was first used in 2001 by Jim O'Neill, an economist with Goldman Sachs, in an exercise of economic forecasting.
- The grouping came to be styled 'BRICS' after South Africa joined in 2011, its first summit as a member being the third summit, held at Sanya.
- BRIC came into being in 2001 as an intergovernmental grouping constituted through a founding declaration issued by the governments of its four members.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q7. The BRICS Summit held immediately before India assumed the Chairship of the grouping took place under the Chairship of which country, and at which city and time?
- A. Brazil, at Rio de Janeiro, in July 2025
- B. Russia, at Kazan, in October 2024
- C. Brazil, at Brasília, in July 2025
- D. South Africa, at Sanya, in August 2023
Q8. Consider the following pairings of BRICS Summits with their host cities:
1. 11th Summit — Brasília
2. 13th Summit — Goa
3. 16th Summit — Kazan
4. 17th Summit — Rio de Janeiro
Which of the above is/are NOT correctly matched?
- 11th Summit — Brasília
- 13th Summit — Goa
- 16th Summit — Kazan
- 17th Summit — Rio de Janeiro
- A. 2 only
- B. 2 and 4
- C. 1 and 3
- D. 1, 2 and 4
Q9. At the 18th BRICS Summit, the Prime Minister of India delivered his opening address while presiding over a Summit session on which one of the following subjects?
- A. Inclusive Global Governance and Strengthening Multilateralism
- B. Reform of Global Governance and Peace and Security
- C. Strengthening Multilateralism, Economic-Financial Affairs and Artificial Intelligence
- D. Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability
Q10. In his opening address at the 18th BRICS Summit, the Prime Minister of India proposed that member countries jointly draw up how many proposals on reform of global governance, to be shaped into a BRICS reform roadmap by the next Summit?
- A. Five
- B. Eight
- C. Ten
- D. Fifteen
Q11. Which one of the following correctly identifies the principal outcome document adopted by consensus at the 18th BRICS Summit, together with the date of its adoption?
- A. The New Delhi Declaration, adopted on 12 September 2026
- B. The New Delhi Declaration, adopted on 13 September 2026
- C. The Bharat Mandapam Declaration, adopted on 12 September 2026
- D. The Delhi Leaders' Statement, adopted on 13 September 2026
Q12. The India–Brazil–South Africa (IBSA) Dialogue Forum, all three of whose members are also BRICS members, was formally brought into existence by which one of the following?
- A. The Brasília Declaration issued by the Foreign Ministers of the three countries in June 2003
- B. The Tshwane Declaration adopted at the first IBSA Summit in September 2006
- C. The Sanya Declaration adopted on the margins of the third BRICS Summit in April 2011
- D. The New Delhi Agenda for Cooperation signed by the three Trade Ministers in March 2004