Current Context: The 11^th  BRICS Parliamentary Forum was held in Brasilia, Brazil on 4–5 June 2025, bringing together legislators from all ten member countries; India has been entrusted to host the Twelfth Forum in 2026.

About BRICS Parliamentary Forum

• Objective: Platform for legislative collaboration on issues such as terrorism, artificial intelligence, and global peace.
• Inception: First convened in 2015 during Russia’s chairmanship in Moscow.
• Membership: Parliaments of Brazil, Russian Federation, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates.
• Next Host: India in 2026, chaired by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.

BRICS Grouping

• Formation: Coined as “BRIC” in 2001 by British economist Jim O’Neill; formal group established in 2009(Brazil, Russian Federation, India, China), with South Africa joining in 2010.
• Recent Expansion: Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt joined in 2024; Indonesia became a full member in January 2025.
• Membership Today: Ten major emerging economies representing over 41 percent of global gross domestic product (purchasing power parity) and half the world’s population.

Current Context: The Government of India is set to inaugurate the National e-Vidhan Application for the Puducherry Legislative Assembly, following its successful deployment in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly.

ABOUT:

• Ministry : Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.
• Aim: Digitize legislative proceedings across all 37 State and Union Territory legislatures (28 State Legislative Assemblies and 9 Union Territory legislatures.) under the “One Nation – One Application” vision.
• Technical Platform: Hosted on National Informatics Centre’s MeghRaj Cloud for secure, paperless operations.
• Funding Model: Centrally sponsored, ensuring equitable financial support for each State and Union Territory.

Current Context: India hosted the Fourth India–Central Asia Dialogue in New Delhi, where Foreign Ministers from Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan met to condemn the Pahalgam terror attack and plan cooperation on critical minerals.

About India–Central Asia Dialogue:

• Security Cooperation:
  • Unified condemnation of terrorism; commitment to hold sponsors, organisers, and financiers accountable.
  • Emphasis on United Nations–led counter-terrorism frameworks and Financial Action Task Force standards.
• Mineral Exploration:
  • Joint interest in exploring rare earth and critical minerals to diversify away from existing global supply constraints.
  • Call for a Second India–Central Asia Rare Earth Forum and delegation exchanges.
• Regional Connectivity:
  • Promotion of the International North-South Transport Corridor for freight and passenger movement.
  • Interest in utilizing Iran’s Chabahar Port for Central Asian trade.
• People-to-People and Cultural Ties:
  • Recognition of millennia-old Silk Road linkages and shared cultural heritage.

Current Context: Between 2011–12 and 2022–23, India cut its extreme poverty rate from 27.1 percent to 5.3 percent—lifting about 269 million people above the World Bank’s updated daily poverty line of US $ 3.00 (2021 PPP).

ABOUT:

• Global Poverty Lines:
  • Extreme Poverty Line: United States Dollar 3 per person/day (2021 Purchasing Power Parity), revised from United States Dollar 2.15.
  • Lower-Middle-Income Economies Line: United States Dollar 4.20 per day.
  • Upper-Middle-Income Economies Line: United States Dollar 8.30 per day.
• Rural–Urban Divide:
  • Rural Poverty: Fell from 18.4 percent to 2.8 percent.
  • Urban Poverty: Fell from 10.7 percent to 1.1 percent.
• Multidimensional Poverty Index:
  • Dropped from 53.8 percent (2005–06) to 16.4 percent (2019–21), and to 15.5 percent (2022–23).
  • Indicators Covered: Consumption or income, educational attainment, school enrolment, drinking water, sanitation, and electricity.
• Government Initiatives to reduce poverty :
  • Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana: Universal access to permanent housing with basic amenities.
  • Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana: Provision of clean cooking fuel (liquefied petroleum gas) to deprived households.
  • Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana: Financial inclusion through universal access to bank accounts.
  • Ayushman Bharat (National Health Protection Scheme): Health insurance coverage for catastrophic medical expenses.

Current Context : Uttar Pradesh Cabinet approved a 20% horizontal reservation for former Agniveers in direct recruitment to UP Police, PAC, Mounted Police, and Fire Service posts, including a 3-year age relaxation.

About

• Reservation:Across all categories (General, SC, ST, OBC)
• Age Relaxation:3 years
• Implementation:First batch eligible from 2026
• Significance:
  • First such reservation in India
  • Aims to utilize military discipline in policing
  • Supports reintegration post-Agnipath service

Current Context: The Security Service of Ukraine conducted an underwater explosive operation against the Crimean Bridge over the Kerch Strait—damaging a pillar and temporarily halting road and rail traffic on the 19-kilometre link between the Russian mainland and the Crimean Peninsula.

ABOUT:

• Kerch Strait:
  • Connects the Black Sea and Sea of Azov between Russia’s Taman Peninsula and Crimea’s Kerch Peninsula.
  • Narrowest width: 3–5 km at Chushka Spit.
• Crimean Bridge:
  • Completed: 2018; Length: 19 km (Europe’s longest).
  • Function: Dual road and rail link critical for Russian military logistics.

Current Context: India’s athletes claimed 24 medals (8 gold, 10 silver, 6 bronze) to finish second in the overall standings behind the People’s Republic of China in Asian Athletic Championship.

ABOUT:

Host and Venue: Gumi Civic Stadium, Gumi, Republic of Korea.

• Participation: Over 60 Indian athletes in 30 events (15 men’s, 14 women’s, 1 mixed).
• Medal Tally:
• Gold Medals (8): Men’s 10,000 metres, Men’s 5,000 metres, Mixed 4×400 metres relay, Men’s 3,000 metres steeplechase, Women’s 100 metres hurdles, and three more individual/event golds.
• Silver Medals (10): Included women’s 4×100 metres relay, women’s 400 metres (Rupal Chaudhary), men’s javelin throw (Sachin Yadav), steeplechase (Parul Chaudhary), and relay teams.
• Bronze Medals (6): Included 20 kilometres race walk (Servin Sebastian), sprint and middle-distance events.

 Overall Ranking:

• First: People’s Republic of China (19 gold, 9 silver, 4 bronze).
• Second: India (8 gold, 10 silver, 6 bronze).
• Third: Japan (5 gold, 11 silver, 12 bronze).

Current Context: Recently, the State Governments of Assam and Meghalaya agreed to build a 55 megawatt run-of-river hydropower project on the Kulsi River—one of the last habitats of the endangered Gangetic dolphin—to boost renewable energy and inter-state cooperation.

About River :

• South-bank tributary of the Brahmaputra, formed by Khri, Krishniya, and Umsiri rivers originating from the West Khasi Hills.
• Length: ~220 km (100 km in Meghalaya, 120 km in Assam); Drainage Area: 3,770 km².
• Ecology: One of Assam’s last refuges for the endangered Gangetic dolphin (Platanista gangetica).

Project Highlights:

• Capacity: 55 MW run-of-river scheme.
• Joint Management: Facilitated by respective State governments under a MoU.

Current Context: The Capgemini Research Institute released its World Wealth Report 2025 in June, reporting that India’s high-net-worth individual wealth rose by 8.8 percent in 2024—bringing the number of millionaires in India to 378,810 with combined investable assets of US $1.5 trillion.

Relevant Data:

• Report Coverage:
  • 71 countries, representing over 98 percent of Global Gross National Income (GNI) and 99 percent of global stock-market capitalisation.
• Global Trends:
  • Population of high-net-worth individuals grew by 2.6 percent in 2024.
  • Ultra-high-net-worth individuals (those with investable assets of US $30 million or more) increased by 6.2 percent.
  • Alternative investments (private equity, cryptocurrencies) now constitute 15 percent of high-net-worth individual portfolios.
• India Highlights:
  • High-Net-Worth Individual (HNWI) Wealth Growth:8% in 2024.
  • Number of millionaires next door (investable assets US $1 million–US $5 million): 333,340 individuals holding US $628.93 billion.
  • Number of ultra-high-net-worth individuals (investable assets of US $30 million or more): 4,290 individuals with combined assets of US $534.77 billion.

Current Context: India and Norway are set to undertake a joint feasibility study from June 2025 to explore year-round commercial shipping along Russia’s Northern Sea Route, aiming to shorten voyages between Eurasia and Europe and strengthen Arctic cooperation.

ABOUT:

• Route : Runs 13,000 km from the Barents Sea (near Norway) to the Bering Strait, traversing the Arctic coast of Russia.
• Significance:
  • Cuts Europe–Asia shipping times by 10–14 days versus the Suez Canal (~21,000 km).
  • Opens access to five Arctic ports: Sabetta, Dudinka, Khatanga, Tiksi, and Pevek.
• Operational Challenges:
  • Seasonal ice cover requires ice-class vessels and icebreaker support.
  • Environmental sensitivities demand stringent Arctic environmental safeguards.

Strategic Implications:

• Enhances India–Russia and India–Norway maritime ties.
• Supports India’s Sagarmala vision for alternative maritime corridors.