Content :

1. India Participates in 9th BRICS Industry Ministers’ Meeting in Brasília
2. Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) 2.0 Portal Launched

India Participates in 9th BRICS Industry Ministers’ Meeting in Brasília

 Event Overview

• Event: 9th BRICS Industry Ministers’ Meeting
• Date: 21st May 2025
• Venue: Itamaraty Palace, Brasília, Brazil
• Theme: “Strengthening Global South Cooperation for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance”
• Participants: BRICS+ (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, UAE)

Relevance : GS 2(International Relations)

 India’s Key Contributions

• Launch of BRICS Startup Knowledge Hub (31st Jan 2025):
  • First-of-its-kind dedicated digital platform.
  • Aims to promote cross-border startup collaboration.
  • Facilitates policy exchange, innovation sharing, and best practices.

• Focus on MSMEs:
  • India highlighted that MSMEs employ 25 crore people.
  • 5.93 crore registered MSMEs contribute 45.73% of exports (2023–24).
  • Advocated for MSMEs as a pillar of industrial resilience globally.

 Strategic Themes Highlighted by India

• Industry 4.0 & Digital Transformation:
  • Stressed on innovation and technology as drivers of sustainable development.
  • Promoted a future-ready industry that is inclusive and digitally empowered.

• Digital India Success:
  • India grew from 251.59 million internet users (2014) to 954.40 million (March 2024).
  • Touted as the world’s largest digitally connected democracy.

 Joint Declaration Outcomes

• Reaffirmed commitment to:
  • Multilateralism, openness, fairness, and resilience.
  • Promoting inclusive & sustainable industrial growth.
  • Leveraging digital and industrial innovation for socio-economic transformation.

Guiding Philosophy Proposed by India

India invoked four key principles for BRICS cooperation:

• Sahyog (Collaboration)
• Samanjasya (Harmony)
• Samagrata (Inclusiveness)
• Sarvasammati (Consensus)

 Relevance & Implications

• Positions India as a thought leader in digital public infrastructure and startup ecosystems.
• Boosts South-South cooperation in innovation and MSME development.
• Aligns with India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India industrial strategies.
• Strengthens India’s soft power and diplomatic influence in the expanded BRICS bloc.

BRICS: Key Facts

• Full Form: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa
• Established: 2006 (initially as BRIC), South Africa joined in 2010
• Purpose: Promote peace, development, cooperation among emerging economies
• Population: ~42% of world population
• GDP (combined): ~25–30% of global GDP

BRICS 2025 Expansion

• New Members (BRICS+): Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, UAE
• Focus: Greater voice for Global South, inclusive multilateralism

Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) 2.0 Portal Launched

Purpose & Vision

• What is PAI 2.0?
  A rationalized, data-backed framework to assess and monitor the performance of 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats across India.
• Objective:
  Enable evidence-based, participatory planning, aligned with Localization of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs).
• Transformational Goal:
  From data collection to performance-based rural governance → promotes accountability, transparency, and inclusion.

Relevance : GS 2(Local Governance ,Governance )

Key Improvements in PAI 2.0 over PAI 1.0

• Rationalisation:
  • Reduces reporting burden
  • Enhances usability and data reliability
  • Focus on quality over quantity

Nine LSDG-Aligned Themes in PAI 2.0

1. Poverty-free and Enhanced Livelihoods Panchayat
2. Healthy Panchayat
3. Child-Friendly Panchayat
4. Water-Sufficient Panchayat
5. Clean and Green Panchayat
6. Panchayat with Self-Sufficient Infrastructure
7. Socially Just and Socially Secured Panchayat
8. Panchayat with Good Governance
9. Women-Friendly Panchayat

Institutional and Technical Backbone

• Portal: https://pai.gov.in
• Resources Launched:
  • Local Indicator Framework (LIF) Booklet (FY 2023–24)
  • Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
• Writeshop Features:
  • 250+ stakeholders across 32 States/UTs
  • Live demos, walkthroughs, field insights
  • Collaboration with NIC, NITI Aayog, UNICEF, UNFPA, TRI, Piramal Foundation

Expected Impact

• Strengthens bottom-up planning and local self-governance
• Encourages data culture at the grassroots level
• Benchmarks Panchayats against national development priorities
• Supports Viksit Bharat 2047 vision through Sabka Prayas