12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum held at Samvidhan Sadan, New Delhi
Why in the news
The Parliament of India is hosting the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum on 26-27 October 2026 in New Delhi, during India’s BRICS Chairship in 2026.
Key facts
- Venue: Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan, Parliament House complex, New Delhi.
- Chair: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Chairperson of the 12th Forum, who welcomed the delegates.
- PM’s role: Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated on 26 October and interacted with foreign delegates.
- Theme: All India Radio gave it as ‘Fostering Parliaments for People-Centric Development’; an IANS report used ‘Strengthening’ in place of ‘Fostering’.
- Participation: 11 BRICS member countries and 10 partner countries invited.
- Sessions: four high-level sessions on resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability, plus a meeting of chairs of international affairs committees.
- Anniversary: Birla said the forum completes 20 years this year.
Bilateral meetings
- Birla met Egyptian delegation head Sameh Shoukry on 25 October; Egypt’s condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack was appreciated.
- He also held talks with the Russian delegation led by State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin, with focus on joint action against terrorism.
About BRICS
In his address, Birla noted that BRICS nations hold nearly half of the world’s population and about one-third of its land area, and called the grouping a possible strong voice of the Global South. He also thanked members for adopting the Joint Statement by consensus at the BRICS Summit in New Delhi. The PM shared an article by Birla saying the forum’s agenda follows the four pillars of India’s 2026 BRICS Chairship, with topics such as AI governance and South-South cooperation.
Exam angle
- Edition, host city and venue: 12th, New Delhi, Samvidhan Sadan.
- Chair: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
- Four session themes: resilience, innovation, cooperation, sustainability.