Previous Year Question
With reference to a grouping of countries known as BRICS, consider the following statements:
The first Summit of BRICS was held in Rio de Janeiro in 2009.
South Africa was the last to join the BRICS grouping.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
Correct Answer: B
Detailed Solution
Statement 1 is incorrect. The first formal summit of the BRIC countries—Brazil, Russia, India and China—was held in Yekaterinburg, Russia, on 16 June 2009, not in Rio de Janeiro.
The relevant chronology is:
The first formal meeting of BRIC foreign ministers took place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in 2006.
The first BRIC Summit was held in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2009.
The second BRIC Summit was held in Brasília, Brazil, in 2010.
After South Africa joined, the grouping was renamed from BRIC to BRICS.
South Africa participated as a full member for the first time at the 2011 Sanya Summit.
Therefore, the claim that the first summit was held in Rio de Janeiro is incorrect.
Statement 2 was correct in the context of the 2014 examination. The original grouping consisted of Brazil, Russia, India and China. South Africa was invited to join in 2010 and was then the newest and fifth member of the grouping.
BRICS was intended to promote economic, financial and political cooperation among major emerging economies. Its areas of cooperation include:
Reform of global economic and financial governance.
Greater representation of developing countries in institutions such as the IMF and World Bank.
Trade, investment and sustainable development.
Energy, health, agriculture, science and technology.
Financial arrangements such as the New Development Bank and Contingent Reserve Arrangement.
Thus, according to the position prevailing in 2014, only Statement 2 was correct.
Current position (2026)
Statement 2 cannot be treated as correct today without its historical context because BRICS membership expanded in and after 2024. Countries such as Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates and subsequently Indonesia joined the grouping.