{"id":4130,"date":"2026-09-24T12:05:06","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T12:05:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/?p=4130"},"modified":"2026-09-26T12:11:22","modified_gmt":"2026-09-26T12:11:22","slug":"multilateralism-of-brics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/multilateralism-of-brics\/","title":{"rendered":"Multilateralism of BRICS"},"content":{"rendered":"<table style=\"font-size: 16px; font-style: normal;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<blockquote><p><b>SYLLABUS: International Relations<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>General Studies:- II <\/b><b><i>Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and\/or affecting India\u2019s interests.<\/i><\/b><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><b>IN NEWS:<\/b> <b>India and the plausible multilateralism of BRICS<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>QUESTION: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201dThe growing internal divergences within BRICS pose challenges to its effectiveness as a multilateral grouping.\u201d In this context, examine the role of India in making BRICS a meaningful platform for global cooperation. (10 marks, 150 words) <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>ANSWER: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BRICS has evolved from an economic grouping into a significant platform for <\/span><b>Global South cooperation and reform of the international order<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Its expansion has increased its representativeness but also brought together countries with competing strategic interests. However, as the article highlights, <\/span><b>\u201cinternal contradictions\u201d and \u201cexternal convergence\u201d can coexist<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, making BRICS particularly relevant to India&#8217;s strategic autonomy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Internal divergences within BRICS<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>India \u2013 China strategic rivalry:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Unresolved border issues and competition in the Indo-Pacific constrain political convergence.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Conflicting geopolitical interests:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Differences over the <\/span><b>Ukraine war, West Asian conflicts and relations with the U.S.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> create divergent priorities.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Iran \u2013 UAE\/West Asian tensions:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> BRICS brings countries with competing regional interests onto a common platform, creating space for dialogue.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Russia\u2013West confrontation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Russia&#8217;s increasingly adversarial relationship with the West does not correspond with the interests of members such as India and the UAE.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Heterogeneous membership:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Different political systems, economic structures and foreign-policy orientations make consensus more difficult.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Risk of bloc politics:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> If BRICS becomes explicitly anti-Western, it could constrain members such as India that maintain extensive relations with the U.S. and Europe.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Yet, areas of external convergence exist,<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite these differences, members broadly share interests in:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>A more representative and multipolar global order<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reform of global governance institutions<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Greater voice for the <\/span><b>Global South<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cooperation on trade, finance, climate change, health and technology<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Opposition to unilateral approaches that undermine multilateral institutions<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thus, BRICS does not require <\/span><b>complete geopolitical convergence<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to produce meaningful cooperation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>India&#8217;s role in BRICS:<\/b><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><b> Bridge-builder and dialogue facilitator<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India can use BRICS to keep communication open among competing powers. The grouping provides a platform where India can engage China despite bilateral tensions and interact with countries having divergent positions on global conflicts.<\/span><\/p>\n<ol start=\"2\">\n<li><b> Promote \u201cguardrails\u201d for competitive coexistence<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rather than attempting to eliminate India\u2013China competition, India can use multilateral platforms such as BRICS to <\/span><b>manage differences and prevent competition from escalating into confrontation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<ol start=\"3\">\n<li><b> Preserve strategic autonomy<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The article cautions against India becoming a frontline in the <\/span><b>U.S.\u2013China strategic competition<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. BRICS allows India to maintain engagement with China and Russia while simultaneously deepening its partnerships with the U.S., Europe, Japan and other partners.<\/span><\/p>\n<ol start=\"4\">\n<li><b> Prevent BRICS from becoming an anti-Western bloc<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India can ensure that BRICS remains a platform for <\/span><b>multilateral cooperation rather than ideological confrontation with the West<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This complements India&#8217;s multi-aligned foreign policy.<\/span><\/p>\n<ol start=\"5\">\n<li><b> Strengthen the Global South agenda<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India can use BRICS to advance:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reform of the UN and international financial institutions<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Greater representation for developing countries<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Development finance<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Climate and energy cooperation<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Food and health security<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"6\">\n<li><b> Focus on functional cooperation<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Where geopolitical consensus is difficult, India can promote cooperation in areas of shared interest such as <\/span><b>AI governance, digital technologies, resilient supply chains, development finance, climate action and public health<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<ol start=\"7\">\n<li><b> Strengthen BRICS institutions<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India can contribute to making mechanisms such as the <\/span><b>New Development Bank<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> more effective in financing infrastructure and sustainable development in developing countries.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The significance of BRICS for India lies not in the <\/span><b>absence of contradictions but in its ability to manage them<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Its structure gives India diplomatic space to engage competing powers while avoiding exclusive alignment with any one bloc. Therefore, India should pursue <\/span><b>\u201cfunctional convergence amid strategic divergence\u201d<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> using BRICS to promote dialogue, strategic autonomy, Global South interests and a more representative multilateral order.<\/span><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<blockquote><p><b>PYQ REFERENCE UPSC 2023<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Q.\u201dVirus of Conflict is affecting the functioning of the SCO\u201d. In the light of the above statement point out the role of India in mitigating problems\u00a0 (10 Marks, 150 Words)<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><b style=\"font-style: inherit;\">SOURCE: <a href=\"https:\/\/epaper.thehindu.com\/ccidist-ws\/th\/th_international\/issues\/205770\/OPS\/GRUGHM6JH.1+GNIGIPRK3.1.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Hindu e-paper &#8211; India and the plausible multilateralism of BRICS<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SYLLABUS: International Relations General Studies:- II Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and\/or affecting India\u2019s interests. IN [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4131,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[68,73,39,25,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4130","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-current-affairs","category-brics","category-daws","category-gs-2","category-international-relations"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4130","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4130"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4130\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4132,"href":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4130\/revisions\/4132"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4131"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4130"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4130"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kingmakersiasacademy.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4130"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}