"BRICS acts as a powerful counterweight in global governance, actively amplifying the voice and influence of the Global South."…

"BRICS acts as a powerful counterweight in global governance, actively amplifying the voice and influence of the Global South." Explain the role of BRICS in projecting itself as an alternative to other groupings. (Answer in 150 words) 10 marks

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

“ब्रिक्स (BRICS) वैश्विक शासन में एक शक्तिशाली संतुलनकारी शक्ति के रूप में कार्य करता है, जो वैश्विक दक्षिण की आवाज़ और प्रभाव को सक्रिय रूप से प्रबल बनाता है।” ब्रिक्स (BRICS) की भूमिका को समझाइए कि वह स्वयं को अन्य समूहों के विकल्प के रूप में कैसे प्रस्तुत करता है? (उत्तर 150 शब्दों में दीजिए)

The question as printed in the 2026 General Studies paper

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Model answer

Drafted with AI by UPSC Answer Check against this question's marking rubric, to the 150-word length. UPSC does not publish answers for Mains — this is one way to score well, not an official key. How we build rubrics and answers.

BRICS projects itself as a Global South alternative by institutionalising collective representation outside Western-led forums and pooling economic weight. The BRIC grouping became BRICS when South Africa joined in 2010; Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the UAE joined in January 2024 after the Johannesburg Summit invitation (Saudi Arabia was also invited), Indonesia in January 2025, and a partner-country tier followed at Kazan (2024), creating BRICS+; India chairs BRICS in 2026. The Shanghai-based New Development Bank offers infrastructure and sustainable-development finance as an alternative to the World Bank. The Contingent Reserve Arrangement offers balance-of-payments support outside IMF conditionality, though about 70% of each member's access is linked to an IMF programme. Local-currency settlement challenges dollar-centric finance, though India backs local-currency trade rather than de-dollarisation. BRICS presses for UN Security Council and IMF quota reform against G7 dominance. Yet India-China rivalry, divergent interests and China’s outsized weight limit cohesion; BRICS is thus a significant but incomplete counterweight.

How this answer will be evaluated

Framework: GS2 International Relations

What earns full marks: Analyzes BRICS as a structural alternative to Western-led institutions with specific examples (NDB, UNSC reform).

Evaluation rubric

Each sub-part is marked on its own, against the marks and word limit printed on the paper.

The answer Explain how BRICS projects itself as an alternative to other groupings and amplifies the Global South's voice, noting the limits of that claim. 10 marks · 150 words

explain— definition/context → points in order → small example → short close
Must cover
- Mention NDB as alternative to Bretton Woods institutions
- Reference the Contingent Reserve Arrangement or local-currency settlement as alternatives to IMF/dollar-centric finance
- Discuss reform of UN Security Council or IMF/World Bank
- Highlight 'Global South' representation and voice amplification
Loses marks
- Reciting member list without analyzing their role
- Treating BRICS as a military alliance
- Ignoring the 'alternative' aspect or the internal limits (India-China rivalry, China's weight)
Earns more
- Mention expansion (Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE from 2024; Indonesia 2025)
- Reference de-dollarization or local currency trade
- Contrast with G7 or G20 dynamics
- Mention 'BRICS Plus' concept
Extra mark
- Cite specific NDB funding figures or projects
- Reference specific BRICS summit declarations (e.g., Johannesburg 2023, Kazan 2024)

What "Explain" is asking you to do

Make the working of something clear — what sets it off, what follows from what, and what it produces. Explain is the Commission's mechanism word: it dominates the technical papers and the “explain why” stems, where the marks sit in the causal chain and not in the label.

Structure that answers it

State what it is → the initiating condition → the chain of cause, step by step → an instance where it plays out → what the chain produces

Where marks are lost

Describing what something looks like instead of why it works that way. Naming the stages without linking them reads as description too.

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