India, Aug. 7 -- The Government of India has issued a release:
Union Minister for Education Shri Pralhad Joshi today reaffirmed India's commitment to a people-centric and humanity-first approach to BRICS cooperation. He was chairing the 13th BRICS Education Ministers' Meeting which concluded in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, with the adoption of the 13th BRICS Education Ministers' Declaration.
Reiterating India's commitment to working closely with all the BRICS partners, the Union Minister expressed confidence that the momentum generated during the Meeting would translate into meaningful action. Referring to India's BRICS Chairship 2026, theme, "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability," the Minister said that education systems must prepare young people for emerging opportunities while remaining firmly rooted in human values. He added that learners, teachers, researchers and young people should remain at the centre of policymaking and international cooperation.
Shri Joshi remarked that education was the foundation of inclusive growth and shared prosperity, and that the adopted Declaration reflected the collective commitment of BRICS nations to strengthen cooperation across the five priority areas. He also stressed on the importance of preserving and promoting traditional and indigenous knowledge systems, observing that innovation and heritage complement one another. He noted that the rich civilisational traditions of BRICS nations presented a unique opportunity to preserve traditional knowledge, study it rigorously, and pass on its value to future generations.
The Minister also highlighted Odisha's rich legacy as an ancient centre of learning and reflected on India's enduring civilizational values of "Atithi Devo Bhava" and "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam". He emphasised that while nations may differ in their traditions and experiences, their progress was interconnected.
Ministers, senior officials and delegates from BRICS member countries, including Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa, Indonesia, Iran, Ethiopia and United Arab Emirates attended the Meeting aimed at advancing cooperation under the BRICS Education Track.
The adoption of the 13th BRICS Education Ministers' Declaration reaffirmed education as a key pillar of BRICS cooperation and outlined a shared roadmap across five priority areas identified under India's Chairship. The outcomes are as following:
The Meeting also welcomed India's initiative on the BRICS Guiding Principles on Strengthening Academic Collaboration on Traditional and Indigenous Knowledge Systems and suggested that the BRICS Network University may consider the inclusion of traditional and indigenous knowledge systems as an additional International Thematic Group.
The Ministry of Education also hosted the 3rd BRICS Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) under India's BRICS chairship 2026, on August 5, 2026 in Bhubaneswar. The discussions reaffirmed the shared commitment of member countries towards advancing inclusive, resilient and future-ready education systems through greater cooperation, innovation and knowledge exchange.
India will continue to host BRICS Ministerial Meetings across various sectors during its Chairship, culminating in the 18th BRICS Summit, scheduled to be held in New Delhi on September 12-13, 2026.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
