India’s Minister for Science & Technology recently chaired the 9th meeting of BRICS’ ministers assigned to science and technology. This follows the annual summit, chaired by the Indian Prime Minister and conducted virtually due to the ongoing pandemic. Marking a significant milestone, the international group, which consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2021.
Key Points from the Address
During the meeting, the discussion was primarily focused on the Global Innovation Index. The minister highlighted the need for BRICS to secure rightful places within this index, which can be possible through enhanced cooperation in Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI). The 2021 Global Innovation Index rankings presented India at 46th place, China at 12th, Russia in 45th position, Brazil at 57th, and South Africa at 61st. Thus, collaboration among the countries is crucial to innovate cost-effective, affordable, sustainable, and scalable scientific solutions to address shared and unique challenges they face.
BRICS Innovation Cooperation Action Plan (2021-24)
Significantly, the BRICS member nations agreed on an STI-led innovation cooperation action plan proposed by India during the 12th meeting of the steering committee. Covering 2021 to 2024, this action plan aims to share insights from each nation’s innovation ecosystem, promoting networking opportunities for innovators and entrepreneurs.
The activities under this plan will span several thematic areas, including Transient Astronomical Events, Deep Survey Science, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), Big Data Analytics, and various others related to biomedicine, food industry, and energy harvesting issues. As per the agreed plan, the BRICS Ministers endorsed the BRICS Science, Technology, and Innovation Calendar of Activities for 2020-2021.
About BRICS
BRICS represents an association of five major emerging national economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. British Economist Jim O’Neill coined the term “BRIC” in 2001 to represent four emerging economies, Brazil, Russia, India, and China. The alliance was officially established during the inaugural meeting of BRIC Foreign Ministers in 2006. South Africa joined the group in December 2010, leading to the current acronym, BRICS.
Collectively, these nations encompass 42% of the world’s population and contribute to 23% of the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with approximately 17% share in world trade. The chairmanship of this forum rotates annually among the member countries, following the order of their initials in the acronym. The leaders meet annually at the BRICS Leaders’ Summit. During the sixth Summit in Fortaleza in 2014, the New Development Bank was established, and the BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement was signed.
