The 13th BRICS Urbanisation Forum under India's Chairship Begins in New Delhi

📌 Summary:

• The 13th BRICS Urbanisation Forum opened in New Delhi under India's BRICS Chairship 2026 (Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs; Minister Manohar Lal)
• Theme: 'Cities for People: BRICS Cooperation for Inclusive and Resilient Urban Futures'
• Participating countries: Brazil, Russia, Indonesia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the UAE (reflecting expanded BRICS membership)
• India is hosting the forum for the 4th time (New Delhi 2013, Visakhapatnam 2016, virtually 2021)
• India's development anchors highlighted: inclusive urban development, climate- and disaster-resilient infrastructure, strengthening institutions, and digital innovation
• Publication 'India's Urban Transformation: Stories of Change' released
• A bilateral India–Russia meeting reviewed a proposed MoU on Sustainable Urban Development

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS2 IR (BRICS grouping, India's chairship) and GS1 (urbanisation, resilient cities).

📝 Prelims Facts:

• India holds the BRICS Chair in 2026
• Expanded BRICS includes Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE and Indonesia
• India has hosted the BRICS Urbanisation Forum four times (2013, 2016, 2021, 2026)

🔑 Key Term: BRICS — intergovernmental grouping (originally Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) expanded since 2024 to include new members.