The 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum ended in New Delhi on 27 October 2026 with the adoption of a Joint Declaration by consensus. The two-day meeting was held at Samvidhan Sadan, the old Parliament House, and was chaired by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who had opened it the previous day. In his closing address he handed the forum's chairship to China, which holds the BRICS chair for 2027.
The theme was "Fostering Parliaments for People-Centric Development". The forum's four high-level sessions took the four words of India's BRICS chairship theme in turn: Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the visiting delegations on the first day.
This is the parliamentary track of India's 2026 chairship, which reached its peak at the 18th BRICS Summit at Bharat Mandapam in September. The forum matters for the exam in two ways. Its text shows which of India's positions the other members were willing to sign. And the meeting itself is a lesson in how Parliament takes part in foreign affairs, which is a polity question as much as an IR one.
Ten parliaments, not eleven
The Joint Declaration opens with the list of signatories. It names the parliaments of ten member countries:
| Founding members | Joined 2024 | Joined 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa | Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, United Arab Emirates | Indonesia |
Saudi Arabia is not on the list. It was invited to join BRICS at the Johannesburg summit in 2023 but has not formally completed accession. When a question asks how many countries "signed" or "adopted" a BRICS text, the official list is the answer, not the headline count of eleven.
Delegations from partner countries, a lower tier created in 2024, also attended. Two of them, Cuba and Belarus, held bilateral meetings with Speaker Birla on 25 October. The declaration welcomes their "increasing involvement" but they are not signatories.
What the declaration says
The text is long. Most of it restates positions BRICS leaders had already agreed at the summit, and it says so: it cites paragraphs of the New Delhi Declaration adopted on 12-13 September 2026. The table sets out the parts most likely to be tested.
| Area | What the parliaments agreed | India's interest |
|---|---|---|
| UN reform | Support for "a comprehensive reform of the United Nations, including its Security Council", citing paragraph 13 of the New Delhi Declaration | India's bid for a permanent seat |
| Terrorism | Condemned "in the strongest terms" the 22 April 2025 attack in Jammu and Kashmir, in which 26 people were killed; condemned cross-border movement of terrorists, terror financing and safe havens; called for zero tolerance and no double standards | Cross-border terrorism named in a multilateral text |
| Terror law | Called for early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) at the UN | India proposed the CCIT in 1996 |
| Humanitarian law | Condemned attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, citing paragraph 29 of the New Delhi Declaration | — |
| Sanctions | Condemned unilateral coercive measures, including unilateral and secondary sanctions, as contrary to international law | Energy and trade with sanctioned partners |
| West Asia | "Maximum restraint", protection of civilians, and smooth flow of trade, supply chains and energy; support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict | Shipping and energy security |
| Climate | Implementation of NDCs under the Paris Agreement, guided by common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC); developed countries to provide finance and technology | A long-standing Indian position |
| AI and digital | Safe, inclusive AI; digital sovereignty, data privacy; notes the proposal for a BRICS digital public infrastructure (DPI) repository and DPI pilot projects | India's DPI model (Aadhaar, UPI) |
| Development | Commitment to the 2030 Agenda; eradicating poverty called "the most significant global challenge" | — |
| Culture | Recalls UNGA resolution A/RES/78/286, the International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations | — |
The counter-terrorism paragraph is the one India's own release singled out. It also welcomes the work of the BRICS Counter-Terrorism Working Group and its five sub-groups, which operate under the BRICS Counter-Terrorism Strategy and Action Plan.
Two proposals in the text came from Russia, and both are framed cautiously, with the words "take note". One is the idea of a "BRICS Plus" geopolitical group within the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). The other is an inter-parliamentary BRICS Working Group on Sport. "Take note" is the weakest form of words in a diplomatic text: it records an idea without endorsing it.
How the forum grew
The parliamentary track is younger than BRICS itself. The grouping's foreign ministers first met in 2006 and its leaders in 2009, but the first BRICS Parliamentary Forum was held in Moscow in June 2015, during Russia's chairship.
| Milestone | Detail |
|---|---|
| 1st forum, 2015 | Moscow, Russia |
| BRICS Women Parliamentarians' Forum, 2016 | Jaipur, 20-21 August 2016, during India's chairship; it adopted the Jaipur Declaration, which called for the meeting to become an annual event |
| 10th forum, 2024 | St Petersburg, Russia; a Protocol to the Memorandum of Understanding on the BRICS Parliamentary Forum was signed on 11 July 2024 |
| 11th forum, 2025 | Brasília, Brazil, 3-5 June 2025, on the role of BRICS parliaments in more inclusive global governance |
| 12th forum, 2026 | New Delhi, 26-27 October 2026 |
| 13th forum, 2027 | China |
The 2026 parliamentary declaration marks the tenth anniversary of the Jaipur women parliamentarians' meeting. It also encourages regular meetings of the chairpersons of the international affairs committees of BRICS parliaments. A special meeting of these chairpersons was scheduled alongside the Delhi forum.
The 2024 protocol is worth noting. It means the forum now has a written framework, rather than being a series of meetings held by custom. The Russian sports proposal cites paragraph 8 of that protocol.
Parliament and foreign policy: the polity link
The forum raises an obvious question for a polity paper. In India, who conducts foreign affairs, and what is Parliament's role?
The executive makes treaties. Under Article 73, the Union's executive power extends to matters on which Parliament can make laws, and "foreign affairs" and treaties are in the Union List of the Seventh Schedule. India signs and ratifies treaties by executive decision; Parliament does not vote to ratify them. Article 253 then gives Parliament power to make any law needed to implement a treaty, even on a State List subject.
Parliament scrutinises. It debates foreign policy, questions ministers, and examines the Ministry of External Affairs through its Standing Committee on External Affairs. That is why the declaration repeatedly qualifies its commitments with the phrase "within the respective constitutional mandates and competencies of member Parliaments". The parliaments cannot bind their governments, but they can support, question and fund.
Parliamentary diplomacy is the third role, and the one on display here. Speakers and committees meet their counterparts to build contacts that run in parallel to the government's. The meetings around the forum show the kind of agenda involved. Speaker Birla met Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of the Russian State Duma, on 25 October. They discussed counter-terrorism and UN Security Council reform, and noted that India and Russia complete 80 years of diplomatic relations in 2027. Birla also called for regular meetings of the India-Russia Inter-Parliamentary Commission.
Who did what in Delhi
The forum's roles map neatly onto the officers of Parliament, a frequent source of questions.
- Om Birla, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, chaired the forum and gave the opening and valedictory addresses.
- C.P. Radhakrishnan, Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, hosted a luncheon for the presiding officers. He holds the post because he is Vice-President of India: under Article 64 the Vice-President is ex officio Chairman of the Council of States. In his speech he cited Vaishali and the Chola kudavolai system of election by lot as early Indian democratic practice.
- Harivansh, Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, gave the welcome address at the inaugural session in the Central Hall and addressed the plenary on sustainability.
The venue had a meaning of its own. Samvidhan Sadan is the name given in September 2023 to the old Parliament House, after both Houses moved to the new building. Its Central Hall is where the Constituent Assembly met from December 1946 and where the Constitution was adopted.
The numbers from the sessions
The plenary speeches contained a few data points worth noting, because examiners take statistics from such speeches.
- BRICS share of world population: around 49.5%, according to Harivansh's welcome address.
- SDG progress: quoting the UN's Sustainable Development Goals Report 2026, Harivansh said only 15% of the 139 targets with enough trend data are on track for 2030.
- India's youth: nearly two-thirds of India's population is under 35, he said, citing the Viksit Bharat Youth Parliament as one way young people engage with Parliament.
Reading the result honestly
A parliamentary declaration does not bind any government, and much of this one restates the summit text. Its value to India lies in three places. First, it carries a named condemnation of the 2025 attack in Jammu and Kashmir, signed by the parliaments of China, Iran and others, in the strongest terms BRICS uses. Second, it puts the CCIT, which India has pursued since 1996, back on a multilateral agenda. Third, it ends India's chairship year with consensus intact, before the chair passes to China.
The limits are visible too. On West Asia the text falls back on "recalling our respective national positions", which signals that the members disagree. The Russian proposals were noted rather than adopted, so the forum has gained no new institution. In BRICS, consensus is usually reached by making the text more general.
🔑 Revision block
The event. 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum, 26-27 October 2026, Samvidhan Sadan, New Delhi; chaired by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla; Joint Declaration adopted by consensus; chair passed to China (2027).
Theme. "Fostering Parliaments for People-Centric Development"; four sessions on Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, Sustainability, the words of India's chairship theme.
Signatories. Ten member parliaments: Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, South Africa, UAE. Saudi Arabia is not listed. Partner countries attended without signing.
Key text. UNSC reform (New Delhi Declaration para 13); condemnation of the 22 April 2025 J&K attack (26 killed); zero tolerance, no double standards; early adoption of the CCIT (proposed by India, 1996); against unilateral and secondary sanctions; CBDR-RC on climate; BRICS DPI repository; A/RES/78/286 (Dialogue among Civilizations).
Noted, not adopted. Russia's ideas for a BRICS Plus group within the IPU and a BRICS working group on sport.
History. 1st forum Moscow, 2015; Women Parliamentarians' Forum and Jaipur Declaration, August 2016; MoU protocol 11 July 2024 (St Petersburg); 11th forum Brasília, June 2025.
Polity. Treaties are an executive act (Article 73; Union List); Article 253 lets Parliament legislate to implement them; Vice-President is ex officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha (Article 64); Samvidhan Sadan named September 2023.
🎯 Practice MCQs
Q1. The 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in October 2026 was chaired by: (a) the Speaker of the Lok Sabha (b) the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha (c) the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs (d) the Minister of External Affairs
→ (a) Om Birla chaired the forum; the Rajya Sabha Chairman, C.P. Radhakrishnan, hosted a luncheon for the delegations.
Q2. Which country assumes the BRICS chairship, and hosts the next Parliamentary Forum, in 2027? (a) Brazil (b) Russia (c) China (d) South Africa
→ (c) Brazil chaired in 2025 and India in 2026.
Q3. Consider the following statements about the Joint Declaration of the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum: 1. It was adopted by consensus. 2. It endorsed Russia's proposal to create a BRICS Plus group within the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Which is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
→ (a) The declaration only "takes note" of the Russian idea; it does not endorse it.
Q4. The first BRICS Parliamentary Forum was held in 2015 in: (a) New Delhi (b) Beijing (c) Brasília (d) Moscow
→ (d) It met in June 2015 during Russia's BRICS chairship.
Q5. The "Jaipur Declaration" of August 2016, recalled in the 2026 parliamentary declaration, was adopted by the: (a) BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting (b) BRICS Women Parliamentarians' Forum (c) BRICS Youth Summit (d) BRICS Counter-Terrorism Working Group
→ (b) It called for the women parliamentarians' meeting to become an annual event; 2026 was its tenth anniversary.
Q6. The Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT), whose early adoption the declaration calls for, was first proposed at the United Nations by India in: (a) 1988 (b) 2001 (c) 2008 (d) 1996
→ (d) It remains unadopted, largely because states disagree on how to define terrorism.
Q7. Under which Article of the Constitution is the Vice-President of India the ex officio Chairman of the Council of States? (a) Article 64 (b) Article 79 (c) Article 93 (d) Article 108
→ (a) Article 93 deals with the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha; Article 108 with joint sittings.
Q8. Parliament may make any law needed to implement an international treaty, even on a subject in the State List, under: (a) Article 245 (b) Article 249 (c) Article 253 (d) Article 368
→ (c) Article 249 lets Parliament legislate on a State subject in the national interest after a Rajya Sabha resolution; Article 253 is specific to treaties.
Q9. Which of the following countries was NOT a signatory to the 2026 Joint Declaration of the BRICS Parliamentary Forum? (a) Ethiopia (b) Saudi Arabia (c) Indonesia (d) United Arab Emirates
→ (b) The other three are full members; Indonesia joined in January 2025.
Q10. "Samvidhan Sadan", the venue of the forum, is the name given to: (a) the new Parliament building opened in 2023 (b) the Supreme Court's annexe (c) the old Parliament House, where the Constituent Assembly met (d) the convention centre at Pragati Maidan
→ (c) The convention centre at Pragati Maidan is Bharat Mandapam, venue of the September 2026 BRICS Summit.
📋 How this gets asked (PYQ pattern)
BRICS has been one of the most heavily covered groupings this year, and the CDS paper tests it in a consistent way.
The first form is the membership question: which country is or is not a member, or how many signed a text. The Saudi Arabia nuance is the most reliable trap, because news reports and official texts count the members differently.
The second is the venue-and-chair question: where a meeting was held, who chaired it and who takes over next. For this forum that is Samvidhan Sadan, the Lok Sabha Speaker and China.
The third is the cross-over polity question, which this forum invites. The examiner can turn an IR event into a question about the Constitution: who chairs the Rajya Sabha, which Article covers treaty implementation, or whether Parliament ratifies treaties in India. Q7 and Q8 show the form.
At the SSB, BRICS often comes up in group discussions on India and the Global South. The useful point here is that India obtained a named condemnation of the 2025 attack from a grouping that includes China, while the disagreement on West Asia remained.
Preparing for CDS? Keep a single BRICS page with the membership table, the 2026 chairship events and the chair for 2027, and add every new text to it. Build the polity base with our notes on Parliament's composition and officers, follow the daily CDS current affairs, and train with serving-standard faculty in the upcoming Cavalier courses in Delhi.
Source: PIB / Lok Sabha Secretariat and Rajya Sabha Secretariat releases of 25, 26 and 27 October 2026, including the full text of the Joint Declaration. Forum history and the 2016 Jaipur meeting cross-checked with the BRICS forum records of the host parliaments and independent reporting.
✍️ Written by Hitendra Deswal — Polity & current-affairs faculty at The Cavalier. Reviewed by the Cavalier Faculty Desk.