Finance
Odisha has stepped up preparations to host the BRICS-India Chairmanship Education Track Meeting in Bhubaneswar from August 5 to 7, with Chief Secretary Anu Garg reviewing arrangements on Friday. The three-day international event is expected to bring together education ministers, senior officials, and delegates from BRICS member countries.
A high-level preparatory meeting convened by the Chief Secretary was held at Lok Seva Bhawan to go over logistical, security, and administrative details for the event, which will be place at the Hotel Mayfair Lagoon.
Over 200 participants are slated to attend, including education ministers from eight of the eleven BRICS member countries, over 40 senior officials, representatives from the Union Ministry of Education, and other dignitaries.
According to the schedule, the third BRICS Education Senior Officials’ Meeting will be held on August 5, followed by discussions involving education ministers and senior officials on August 6. The 13th BRICS Education Ministers’ Meeting will take place on August 7. Delegates are also scheduled to visit the World Skill Centre in Bhubaneswar during their stay.
The meetings are being organised under India’s BRICS Chairmanship with the theme, “Strengthening resilience, innovation, mutual cooperation and sustainable development to address global challenges based on a people-centric and human welfare-priority approach.”
The agenda includes key issues such as strengthening early childhood care and education systems, enhancing cooperation in technical and vocational education and training through the BRICS TVET Cooperation Alliance, promoting collaborative research, innovation, and start-ups, advancing mutual recognition of academic qualifications, and developing educational leadership capacity.
Dr. K.M. Prafulchandra Sharma, Joint Secretary in the Union Ministry of Education, attended the preparatory meeting remotely and briefed authorities on the programme, while also requesting cooperation from the Odisha government to ensure the event’s success.
The examination included procedures for protocol, security, transportation, liaison officers, airport reception, cooperation with embassies, accommodation, medical support, ambulance services, and departmental coordination. Plans for cultural programs and tourist excursions for international delegations were also considered.
Chief Secretary Anu Garg offered the Odisha government’s full support for the successful hosting of the international event and directed all agencies involved to work closely together to guarantee the program’s seamless implementation.
The meeting was attended by Development Commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary Deoranjan Kumar Singh, Higher Education Commissioner-cum-Secretary Arvind Agrawal, Health Commissioner-cum-Secretary Aswathy S., Skill Development, Technical Education and Sports Commissioner-cum-Secretary Bhupendra Singh Punia, Home Department Special Secretary R.K. Sharma, and senior officials from various departments.
India will host the BRICS Summit in 2026 as part of its chairmanship of the grouping, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Earlier this year, Odisha held the BRICS Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group’s technical meeting in Puri from June 3 to 5, when member countries discussed ways to increase international disaster management collaboration.
