On 5 June 2026, the 2nd BRICS Culture Working Group Meeting concluded in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, with member states pledging deeper cultural cooperation, including on heritage protection and the restitution (return) of cultural property. Hosted by the Ministry of Culture with support from the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), the meeting is a useful trigger to master BRICS — one of the most heavily tested international-relations topics for CDS and NDA.
What happened
- The 2nd BRICS Culture Working Group met in Varanasi, hosted by India's Ministry of Culture.
- Discussions covered cultural heritage protection, the restitution of cultural property, and sustainable development through culture.
- The meeting reaffirmed the shared commitment of BRICS members to strengthen cultural cooperation.
What is BRICS?
BRICS is a grouping of major emerging economies that coordinate on economic, financial and geopolitical issues and present a collective voice for the Global South. Its evolution:
- The acronym began as "BRIC" — Brazil, Russia, India and China — a term coined by economist Jim O'Neill of Goldman Sachs in 2001 to describe fast-growing emerging markets.
- The first BRIC Summit was held in 2009 at Yekaterinburg, Russia.
- South Africa joined in 2010, turning BRIC into BRICS.
- In a historic expansion effective 2024, BRICS admitted new members including Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates (with further countries engaged as partners) — broadening the grouping well beyond the original five, a configuration often called "BRICS+."
BRICS now represents a very large share of the world's population, land area and a substantial share of global GDP, giving it significant weight in calls for a more multipolar and representative global order — including reform of institutions like the IMF, World Bank and UN Security Council.
Key BRICS institutions
Two institutions are essential exam points:
- New Development Bank (NDB) — the "BRICS Bank," headquartered in Shanghai, China, established to finance infrastructure and sustainable-development projects in member and other developing countries. Its first President was India's K. V. Kamath. It has regional offices, including one in India.
- Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) — a financial safety net (with an initial corpus of around US$100 billion) to help members deal with short-term balance-of-payments and liquidity pressures.
BRICS members also cooperate on initiatives such as promoting trade in local currencies to reduce dependence on the US dollar.
How BRICS functions
- BRICS works through an annual summit of heads of state/government, with the chairmanship rotating among members each year.
- Much of its substantive work happens through working groups (on finance, trade, agriculture, science, culture, health, etc.) and ministerial meetings — the Culture Working Group in Varanasi being one example.
- It is an informal grouping, not a treaty-based organisation, which gives it flexibility.
For India, BRICS is a platform to advance South-South cooperation, push for reform of the global financial architecture, access development finance through the NDB, and project cultural soft power — as seen in hosting the Culture Working Group in Varanasi, one of the world's oldest living cities.
Summits, chairmanship and de-dollarisation
BRICS holds an annual summit, and the chairmanship rotates among members each year; the host country sets the agenda and hosts the ministerial and working-group meetings through the year. India has hosted BRICS summits before (including in Goa in 2016) and continues to play a leading role in shaping the bloc's economic and development agenda.
A recurring theme in recent summits is reducing dependence on the US dollar in trade and finance — sometimes loosely called "de-dollarisation." Members have explored greater use of local currencies in bilateral trade, strengthening the New Development Bank's local-currency lending, and discussing payment-system cooperation. India's approach has been pragmatic: it supports settling more trade in rupees and partner currencies to cut transaction costs and exchange-rate risk, while not seeking to replace the dollar outright.
BRICS versus the G7 and G20
Aspirants should be able to place BRICS among the world's groupings:
- The G7 is a club of advanced Western economies (US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada).
- The G20 is a broader forum of 20 major economies (including all BRICS members and the G7) plus the African Union; India hosted the G20 Summit in New Delhi in 2023.
- BRICS distinctively represents the emerging economies and the Global South, positioning itself as a counterweight that pushes for a more multipolar and representative global order.
Together, the expanded BRICS accounts for a large share of the world's population, land area, oil production and a growing share of global GDP (by purchasing power parity) — which is the source of its rising influence.
Why it matters
- Global South voice: BRICS amplifies developing economies in global economic governance.
- Alternative institutions: the NDB and CRA offer developing nations finance and a safety net outside Western-dominated bodies.
- Soft power: cultural cooperation — heritage protection and restitution of antiquities — deepens people-to-people ties and supports India's campaign to recover its stolen artefacts.
The 2024 expansion and "partner countries"
The 2024 enlargement was the most significant change in BRICS since South Africa joined in 2010. It roughly doubled the membership and substantially increased the bloc's share of world population, GDP and especially global oil production — since several new members are major energy producers. Beyond full members, BRICS has also created a category of "partner countries" — nations that participate in BRICS activities without full membership — reflecting strong interest from across Asia, Africa and Latin America in joining the grouping. This momentum is itself a sign of a shifting, more multipolar global order.
India's stakes and the balancing act
For India, BRICS offers real benefits — development finance via the NDB, a platform to champion the Global South, and influence over reform of global institutions. At the same time, India practises a careful balancing act: it is a member of BRICS (with Russia and China) and of the Quad (with the US, Japan and Australia), reflecting its policy of strategic autonomy and multi-alignment. India works to ensure BRICS remains a constructive economic and development platform rather than an explicitly anti-Western bloc, and uses it to advance practical cooperation in areas like trade, agriculture, science, health and — as in Varanasi — culture.
Key facts for your exam
- What: 2nd BRICS Culture Working Group, Varanasi; concluded 5 June 2026; hosted by Ministry of Culture / IGNCA.
- BRICS: Brazil, Russia, India, China (BRIC, term coined by Jim O'Neill, 2001) + South Africa (2010); expanded in 2024 (Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE and others).
- First BRIC summit: 2009, Yekaterinburg (Russia).
- New Development Bank (NDB): HQ Shanghai; first President K. V. Kamath (India).
- CRA: Contingent Reserve Arrangement (~US$100 billion) — a financial safety net.
Previous-year & expected exam questions
Q1. The New Development Bank, associated with BRICS, is headquartered at — Answer: Shanghai, China.
Q2. South Africa joined the BRIC grouping (making it BRICS) in which year? Answer: 2010.
Q3. Who coined the term "BRIC," and in which year? Answer: Economist Jim O'Neill, in 2001.
Q4. The Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) of BRICS is meant to — Answer: Provide a financial safety net for members facing short-term balance-of-payments/liquidity problems.
FAQ
Q1. What does BRICS stand for, and who are the newer members? Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — expanded from 2024 to include countries such as Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the UAE ("BRICS+").
Q2. What is the New Development Bank? A multilateral development bank set up by BRICS (HQ Shanghai) to finance infrastructure and sustainable-development projects in member and other developing countries.
Q3. Is BRICS a formal organisation like the UN? No — BRICS is an informal grouping (not treaty-based), working through annual summits and working groups, which gives it flexibility.
Q4. Why does BRICS matter for India? It gives India a platform to push for a multipolar world, South-South cooperation, reform of global financial institutions, access to NDB finance, and cultural soft power.
Q5. How is BRICS different from the G20? The G20 includes both advanced economies (the G7) and major emerging economies (including all BRICS members); BRICS is specifically a grouping of emerging economies positioning itself as a voice of the Global South.
Q6. What is "de-dollarisation" in the BRICS context? Efforts to reduce dependence on the US dollar in trade and finance — for example, by settling more trade in local currencies and strengthening the NDB's local-currency lending. India supports it pragmatically without seeking to replace the dollar outright.
Quick revision recap
- BRIC term coined by Jim O'Neill (2001); first summit 2009, Yekaterinburg; South Africa joined 2010.
- 2024 expansion added Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE (and others) → "BRICS+."
- New Development Bank (NDB): HQ Shanghai; first President K. V. Kamath.
- CRA: ~US$100 billion financial safety net.
- India balances BRICS (with Russia, China) and the Quad (with US, Japan, Australia) — reflecting strategic autonomy.