Focus: GS II- International Relations
Why in News?
Minister of State for Culture and External Affairs participated in the 7th BRICS Culture Ministers’ Meeting hosted by the People’s Republic of China through video conference with participation from all BRICS Member Nations.
Highlights of the Meeting:
- India with its diverse cultural expression ensures to provide a platform to the BRICS countries to familiarize cultural values through exchange programmes/activities in the field of music, theatre, puppetry, various tribal art forms and dance forms especially classical and folk.
- The crucial role of digital technologies in overcoming the challenges posed by Covid-19 pandemic restricting physical movements during last two and half year and the importance of virtual channels in getting life going on all fronts, including culture.
- India’s priorities to digitize valuable collections in the field of cultural heritage and presenting them in open information space as it provides long-term storage and provision of wider access to the cultural content stored in cultural institutions such as museums and libraries. Through virtual exhibitions of BRICS Countries, the rich cultural heritage of BRICS countries can be explored.
- India believes in diversity of cultural heritage and intercultural dialogue. It strongly advocates sustainable and resilient environment integrating heritage and traditional knowledge into innovative and culture-based solutions to environmental concerns.
- The art of India is an amalgam of its own rich legacy and its modern history. It has undoubtedly placed India as an active and creative entity which is an integral part of the art world today.
- In light of today’s environmental, social and economic challenges, working towards an inclusive, and culturally sensitive development paradigms is of utmost importance. Need of the hour is a roadmap which should integrate cultural heritage, cultural and creative industries and an understanding of the innate imagination and collective intelligence of people
What is BRICS?
- BRICS is the international grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
- This was set up as a move towards greater multipolarity; hence the spread across three continents and both hemispheres.
- In terms of GDP, China occupies the second position; India the fifth; Brazil the ninth; Russia the 11th; and South Africa the 35th.
- In terms of growth rates, China grew at 6%; India at 4.5%, Russia 1.7%, Brazil 1.2% and South Africa 0.1%.
- BRICS does not exist in form of organization, but it is an annual summit between the supreme leaders of five nations.
- The Chairmanship of the forum is rotated annually among the members, in accordance with the acronym B-R-I-C-S.
- The BRICS seeks to deepen, broaden and intensify cooperation within the grouping and among the individual countries for more sustainable, equitable and mutually beneficial development.
- BRICS takes into consideration each member’s growth, development and poverty objectives to ensure relations are built on the respective country’s economic strengths and to avoid competition where possible.
- BRICS is emerging as a new and promising political-diplomatic entity with diverse objectives, far beyond the original objective of reforming global financial institutions.
