Union Education Minister Reaffirms Commitment to a People-Centric and Humanity-First Approach to BRICS Cooperation

Union Minister for Education Pralhad Joshi today reaffirmed India’s commitment to a people-centric and humanity-first approach to BRICS cooperation. He was chairing the 13th BRICS Education Ministers’ Meeting which concluded in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, with the adoption of the 13th BRICS Education Ministers’ Declaration.

Reiterating India’s commitment to working closely with all the BRICS partners, the Union Minister expressed confidence that the momentum generated during the Meeting would translate into meaningful action. Referring to India’s BRICS Chairship 2026, theme, “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” the Minister said that education systems must prepare young people for emerging opportunities while remaining firmly rooted in human values. He added that learners, teachers, researchers and young people should remain at the centre of policymaking and international cooperation.

The Meeting also welcomed India’s initiative on the BRICS Guiding Principles on Strengthening Academic Collaboration on Traditional and Indigenous Knowledge Systems and suggested that the BRICS Network University may consider the inclusion of traditional and indigenous knowledge systems as an additional International Thematic Group.(UPDATED ON 7TH AUGUST 2026)