With reference to a grouping of countries known as BRICS, consider the

With reference to a grouping of countries known as BRICS, consider the following statements :

  • 1. The First Summit of BRICS was held in Rio de Janeiro in 2009.
  • 2. South Africa was the last to join the BRICS grouping.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2014
The correct answer is B.
Statement 1 is incorrect. The first summit of BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) was held in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2009. Rio de Janeiro hosted the fourth BRICS summit in 2012. Statement 2 is correct in the context of the original BRICS grouping (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa). South Africa was invited to join in December 2010 and formally became a member on April 14, 2011, attending its first summit in Sanya, China, in 2011. Thus, South Africa was the last to join the BRIC grouping to form BRICS-5.
The term “BRIC” was coined by Goldman Sachs economist Jim O’Neill in 2001. The group’s first formal meeting was in 2006. As of January 1, 2024, BRICS expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. However, the question likely refers to the grouping as it existed before this expansion.