BRICS education ministers adopt declaration as India pitches people-centric cooperation
Bhubaneswar, Aug 7 (INB) BRICS member nations on Friday adopted the 13th BRICS Education Ministers' Declaration, with Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi reaffirming India's commitment to a people-centric and humanity-first approach to cooperation, according to an official statement. Chairing the 13th BRICS Education Ministers' Meeting, Joshi said education systems must prepare young people for emerging opportunities while remaining rooted in human values.
Referring to India's BRICS Chairship 2026 theme, "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability", he said learners, teachers, researchers and youth should remain at the centre of policy-making and international collaboration. According to the statement issued by Ministry of Education, the adopted declaration outlines a shared roadmap for cooperation in five priority areas -- strengthening Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) and Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN), expanding collaboration in skill development and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), promoting research, innovation and start-up ecosystems, advancing Mutual Recognition of Qualifications (MRQ), and strengthening academic leadership and institutional development it stated.
The declaration also called for promoting the safe, ethical and human-centred use of Artificial Intelligence in education, enhancing collaboration among higher education institutions and researchers, and encouraging entrepreneurship-driven innovation. The meeting recognised the role of the BRICS TVET Cooperation Alliance and acknowledged India's proposal to undertake an International Skill Gap Study with voluntary participation from interested BRICS countries.
The ministers also welcomed India's initiative on BRICS Guiding Principles for Strengthening Academic Collaboration on Traditional and Indigenous Knowledge Systems and suggested that the BRICS Network University consider including the subject as an additional International Thematic Group, it added. Joshi said education was the foundation of inclusive growth and shared prosperity, adding that innovation and heritage complemented each other.
He highlighted Odisha's legacy as an ancient centre of learning and referred to India's civilisational values of Atithi Devo Bhava and Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam while underscoring the importance of international cooperation. Education ministers, senior officials and delegates from Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa, Indonesia, Iran, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates attended the meeting.
The Ministry of Education said India will continue to host BRICS ministerial meetings across sectors during its Chairship, culminating in the 18th BRICS Summit scheduled to be held in New Delhi on September 12 and 13.