Current Affairs Questions for CLAT | QB Set 9

Topic: BRICS Summit 2026: Expansion, New Delhi Declaration, Global South and Institutional Reform

Passage

The 18th BRICS Summit was held in New Delhi on 12–13 September 2026 under India’s chairship. The summit adopted the New Delhi Declaration and was organised around the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.” The meeting came at an important stage in BRICS’ evolution, as the grouping has expanded significantly beyond its original membership.

BRICS began with Brazil, Russia, India and China. South Africa joined in 2011, turning BRIC into BRICS. A much larger expansion followed the 2023 Johannesburg Summit. By 2026, the grouping consisted of 11 members: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. BRICS has also developed a separate partner-country category, reflecting attempts to widen participation without immediately extending full membership. 

A major focus of the 2026 summit was reform of global governance. The New Delhi Declaration argued that international institutions should better represent contemporary economic and political realities, particularly the growing role of emerging markets and developing economies. It reiterated calls for reform of the United Nations Security Council, with China and Russia supporting the aspirations of India and Brazil to play a greater role in the United Nations, including the Security Council. The declaration also sought reforms in the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, including greater voice and representation for developing economies. 

India placed the Global South prominently in the summit discussions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi argued that developing countries are often most exposed to global crises while remaining under-represented in international decision-making, and called for the Global South to move from being a “rule-taker” towards becoming a “rule-shaper”. 

Economic cooperation also remains central to BRICS. The New Development Bank (NDB), created by the five original BRICS members, finances infrastructure and sustainable-development projects. Established in 2015 and headquartered in Shanghai, it represents one of BRICS’ most significant institutional initiatives. 

The New Delhi Summit therefore illustrated two parallel trends: expansion of BRICS membership and increasing efforts by its members to seek changes in international institutions that they believe do not adequately reflect the present distribution of global economic influence.

Questions

1. With reference to the 18th BRICS Summit discussed in the passage, which of the following statements is correct?

(A) It was held in Johannesburg under the theme “Strengthening Multilateralism for Fair Global Development and Security”.
(B) It was held in New Delhi under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”.
(C) It was held in Rio de Janeiro and resulted in the creation of the New Development Bank.
(D) It was held in Kazan and formally admitted South Africa to BRICS.

2. Which of the following best reflects the institutional-reform position contained in the 2026 New Delhi Declaration?

(A) Replacement of the IMF by the New Development Bank
(B) Abolition of permanent membership in the UN Security Council
(C) Greater representation of emerging and developing economies in institutions such as the IMF and World Bank
(D) Withdrawal of BRICS countries from the WTO

3. Which of the following countries was the first addition to the original BRIC grouping?

(A) South Africa
(B) Egypt
(C) United Arab Emirates
(D) Indonesia

4. The category of “BRICS Partner Country”, relevant to the grouping’s recent expansion, was approved by BRICS leaders at which summit?

(A) 2021 New Delhi Summit
(B) 2022 Beijing Summit
(C) 2023 Johannesburg Summit
(D) 2024 Kazan Summit

5. Which of the following correctly matches the New Development Bank with its headquarters?

(A) Geneva, Switzerland
(B) Shanghai, China
(C) New Delhi, India
(D) Johannesburg, South Africa

6. The first summit-level meeting of the original BRIC countries was held in 2009 in:

(A) Brasília, Brazil
(B) New Delhi, India
(C) Yekaterinburg, Russia
(D) Beijing, China

Answer Key

1. (B)
2. (C)
3. (A)
4. (D)
5. (B)
6. (C

Detailed Explanations

1. Correct Answer: (B) New Delhi under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”

The 18th BRICS Summit was held in New Delhi on 12–13 September 2026, during India’s BRICS chairship. Its official theme was “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.” The summit concluded with the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration setting out priorities for expanded BRICS cooperation. 

Option (A) refers partly to the 2024 Kazan Summit, whose theme was “Strengthening Multilateralism for Fair Global Development and Security”. The New Development Bank was agreed upon earlier and was not created at the 2026 summit.

2. Correct Answer: (C) Greater representation of emerging and developing economies in institutions such as the IMF and World Bank

Institutional reform was a central theme of the New Delhi Declaration. BRICS called for the Bretton Woods Institutions—the IMF and World Bank—to become more representative, accountable and reflective of changes in the global economy. It particularly emphasised increased voice and representation for emerging markets and developing economies. 

The Declaration also supported reform of the WTO and UN system rather than withdrawal from these institutions. Its approach was therefore primarily one of reform of existing multilateral institutions, not their abolition.

3. Correct Answer: (A) South Africa

BRIC originally consisted of Brazil, Russia, India and China. South Africa was invited to join the grouping, and its participation from 2011 transformed the acronym from BRIC to BRICS. 

The later expansion process was much broader. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE were invited following the 2023 Johannesburg Summit, while Indonesia subsequently joined the expanded grouping.

4. Correct Answer: (D) 2024 Kazan Summit

BRICS leaders approved the creation of the “BRICS Partner Country” status at the 16th BRICS Summit held in Kazan, Russia, in 2024. This provided a mechanism through which additional countries could participate in BRICS-related cooperation without immediately becoming full members. 

This distinction between full members and partner countries has become particularly important as BRICS has widened its engagement with countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America and other regions.

5. Correct Answer: (B) Shanghai, China

The New Development Bank (NDB) is headquartered in Shanghai, China. The agreement establishing the bank was signed by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa at the 2014 BRICS Summit in Fortaleza, Brazil, and the institution was established in 2015.

Its purpose is to mobilise resources for infrastructure and sustainable-development projects in its member countries and other emerging-market and developing economies. It is sometimes informally called the “BRICS Bank”, although New Development Bank is its official name.

6. Correct Answer: (C) Yekaterinburg, Russia

The first BRIC summit involving the heads of state and government was held on 16 June 2009 in Yekaterinburg, Russia. The meeting took place against the backdrop of the global financial crisis and discussed reform of international financial governance, the G20, multilateral trade and greater representation for developing countries. 

The diplomatic origins of BRIC predate this summit. The first meeting of BRIC foreign ministers took place on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York in 2006. South Africa’s later inclusion transformed the grouping into BRICS.