Consider the following statements about BRICS Summits: 1. The first BRICS Summit was held in Brazil 2. BRICS Summits were held in New Delhi on three occasions Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a)1 only
- (b)2 only
- (c)Both 1 and 2
- (d)Neither 1 nor 2
Correct — D, Neither 1 nor 2. Statement 1 is false: the first BRIC leaders' summit was held at Yekaterinburg in Russia on 16 June 2009, not in Brazil (Brazil hosted the second summit, at Brasilia, in 2010). Statement 2 is also false: as of the September 2025 exam New Delhi had hosted at most two BRICS summits — the 4th in 2012 (in person) and the 13th in 2021 (which India chaired but held by videoconference) — and India's other hosting, the 8th summit in 2016, was in Goa, not New Delhi. So 'three occasions in New Delhi' is wrong. Since both statements are incorrect, the answer is 'Neither'.
- (a)1 only — This accepts statement 1, but the first summit was at Yekaterinburg, Russia (2009), not in Brazil, so statement 1 is false.
- (b)2 only — This accepts statement 2, but New Delhi has hosted at most twice (2012 in person; 2021 via videoconference), never three times, so statement 2 is false.
- (c)Both 1 and 2 — Both statements are wrong, so 'both correct' cannot be the answer.
BRICS is a grouping of major emerging economies. Its leaders meet at an annual summit hosted by members on a rotating basis. The bloc grew out of the acronym BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China); South Africa joined in 2010 to make it BRICS, and further members were admitted from 2024.
The question is a factual trap on summit geography and count. The safe anchors are: the first summit (2009) was in Russia, and Brazil's turn came second (2010). India has hosted three summits in all (2012 New Delhi, 2016 Goa, 2021 India-chaired virtual), but only one or two of those were 'in New Delhi', never three — so the 'three occasions' claim fails on the numbers.
- The first BRIC summit was at Yekaterinburg, Russia, on 16 June 2009.
- Brazil hosted the second summit (Brasilia, 2010); South Africa joined the grouping in 2010.
- New Delhi hosted the 4th summit in 2012; India also hosted in Goa (2016) and chaired the 2021 virtual summit.
- By the September 2025 exam BRICS had expanded beyond its five founding members, admitting new states from January 2024 onward.
Neither claim survives the summit record, so the correct option is (d).
- The first summit was in Russia (Yekaterinburg), not Brazil — a common confusion because the acronym starts with B.
- India has hosted three summits in total, but not all three were in New Delhi (2016 was in Goa).
Asked with two-statement true/false items on where and how often BRICS summits were held, or on the grouping's membership.
With reference to a grouping of countries known as BRICS, consider the following statements: 1. The First Summit of BRICS was held in Rio de Janeiro in 2009. 2. South Africa was the last to join the BRICS grouping. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 2 only
- (c) Both 1 and 2
- (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer(b) 2 only — the first summit was at Yekaterinburg (not Rio), while South Africa did join last.
The identical trap in UPSC prelims — the first BRICS summit was NOT where the statement claims; it was Yekaterinburg, Russia.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Where was the first BRIC (later BRICS) leaders' summit held?
- (a)Brasilia, Brazil
- (b)Yekaterinburg, Russia
- (c)New Delhi, India
- (d)Sanya, China
Answer(b) Yekaterinburg, Russia — the inaugural BRIC summit was held there in June 2009.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Which country joined the original BRIC grouping in 2010 to make it BRICS?
- (a)South Africa
- (b)Indonesia
- (c)Egypt
- (d)Iran
Answer(a) South Africa — it joined in 2010, turning BRIC into BRICS.