Finance
Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi urged BRICS countries on Friday to address education difficulties collaboratively, stating that resilience, creativity, and sustainability cannot be achieved in isolation.
Joshi, who presided over the 13th BRICS Education Ministers’ Meeting, stated that India’s 2026 BRICS presidency will be guided by four fundamental principles: resilience, innovation, cooperation, and sustainability. The meeting ended with the approval of a five-point BRICS Education Ministers Declaration.
“More of us can meet these challenges, but none of us can address them in isolation,” Joshi said. “The knowledge we create, the technology we develop and the institutions we strengthen must serve not only the present generation but also the generations to come.”
The minister stated that education systems must be resilient enough to endure interruptions from pandemics, economic uncertainty, climate change, and rapid technology progress. He went on to say that education must be innovative in order to stay up with a rapidly changing world and prepare students for occupations and possibilities that do not yet exist.
At the same time, he highlighted that education must remain founded in human values, with learners, teachers and researchers at the core of decisions. Joshi emphasized the necessity of safeguarding traditional and indigenous knowledge systems.
“The rich civilisational traditions of BRICS nations present a unique opportunity to preserve traditional knowledge, study it rigorously, and pass on its value to future generations,” he said. Reaffirming India’s commitment to a ‘people-centric’ and ‘humanity-first’ approach, he described education as the foundation of inclusive growth and shared prosperity.
The proclamation identifies five priority areas for BRICS collaboration. The first is to promote Early Childhood Care and Education, as well as Foundational Literacy and Numeracy. Member nations agreed to encourage universal access to high-quality early childhood care and education, increase school readiness, and deploy age-appropriate digital technologies for early learning.
The second section focuses on skill development and TVET. The proclamation acknowledged India’s proposal for an International Skill Gap Study, in which BRICS members will participate voluntarily.Third, improve the research, innovation, and start-up ecosystems. The group will foster joint research, the safe and ethical use of artificial intelligence in education, and more collaboration among institutions, researchers, and start-ups.
Fourth, reciprocal recognition of qualifications will increase student and professional mobility throughout the BRICS countries.
Fifth, create capacity for academic leadership and institutional development. Ministers and senior officials from Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa, Indonesia, Iran, Ethiopia, and the UAE attended the meeting as part of the BRICS Education track. Prior to the ministerial, the Ministry of Education convened the 3rd BRICS Senior Officials’ Meeting on August 5 as part of India’s BRICS Chairmanship.
During its chairmanship, India will conduct BRICS ministerial meetings in a variety of sectors, culminating in the 18th BRICS Summit, which will be held in New Delhi on September 12-13, 2026.
