India to chair BRICS Education Ministers' meeting in Bhubaneswar today

Bhubaneswar: India will chair the BRICS Education Ministers' Meeting in Bhubaneswar today, with Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi leading the deliberations aimed at deepening cooperation among member countries in the sector. Joshi, who arrived in Odisha on a two-day visit, will lead the Indian delegation at the meeting, which will be attended by ministers, senior officials and delegates from Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa, Indonesia, Iran, Ethiopia and the UAE.

The ministers are expected to deliberate on key priority areas, including Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), skill development, research and innovation, mutual recognition of academic qualifications and academic leadership, officials said. Ahead of the ministerial meeting, the Ministry of Education hosted the 3rd BRICS Senior Officials' Meeting under India's BRICS Chairship 2026 in Bhubaneswar on August 5.

Also read VBSA Bill: Parliamentary committee seeks more time to finalise draft report

BRICS officials finalise draft education declaration

According to an official statement, the meeting served as a platform for detailed deliberations on the draft BRICS Education Ministers' Declaration, with officials reviewing the proposed text, exchanging suggestions and working towards consensus on the document to be considered for adoption by the ministers.

The discussions focused on strengthening cooperation in early childhood care and education, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), collaborative research and innovation, mutual recognition of qualifications, academic leadership, and the BRICS Guiding Principles on Traditional and Indigenous Knowledge Systems, the statement said.

BRICS members reaffirm commitment to education cooperation

The participating delegations also stressed the need to strengthen institutional mechanisms, promote academic and research collaborations, facilitate the exchange of best practices and enhance capacity-building initiatives among BRICS countries, it said.

Also read ‘Affordable education, strong public school system’: Students demand from Pralhad Joshi after Pradhan's exit

The statement said the deliberations reaffirmed the member countries' shared commitment to advancing inclusive, resilient and future-ready education systems through greater cooperation, innovation and knowledge exchange. The senior officials' meeting concluded with the finalisation of the proposed BRICS Education Ministers' Declaration, marking an important milestone under India's BRICS Chairship 2026, it added.