Theme:
- India is a member of both groupings – BRICS and Quad and is attending summits of both groupings. But China and Russia (members of BRICS) have openly criticized India’s participation in Quad while being a member of BRICS.
What is BRICS?
- BRICS was formed in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa for cooperation in economic development.
What is Quad?
- Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) was formed by India, the US, Japan and Australia in 2007, but was silent after 2008. It was reestablished in 2017. Quad countries have a shared interest in countering China’s aggression in the Indo-Pacific region.
BRICS vs Quad:
- BRICS counters the western dominance of the international system. It is the voice of developing countries. It was established to cooperate for economic development. As these countries are the fastest-growing economies, BRICS nations are expected to become the most dominant economies by 2050. BRICS membership is important to maintain good bilateral relations with the member countries. Moreover, India and china share 3488 km of border, and BRICS is a medium through which we can engage in bilateral talks on border issues and other things. It is also a platform for India to engage in talks with India’s all-weather friend Russia.
- All the Quad countries suffered due to China’s aggression. They have a shared interest in countering China’s aggression in the Indo-Pacific region and in promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific. Not just this, Quad countries discussed co-operating in fighting against covid-19, addressing climate change and many more pressing global issues. Moreover, China is indirectly supporting the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, whereas all the Quad countries are abiding by democratic spirit. China is expressing displeasure about India’s participation in Quad and its growing relations with the US. But in many issues such as India’s bid for a permanent seat in UNSC, cross-border terrorism issue with Pakistan, India’s opposition to China’s Belt & Road initiative, India got US backing. So, in the present times, the Quad is more important for India than BRICS.
- Both BRICS and Quad are important for India. So, it is better to balance both.
Conclusion:
Both BRICS and Quad are important for India. So, the best way forward is to balance both. Being in both groupings helps India to play an incremental role in international affairs.
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References:
- BRICS Vs QUAD: Can India Afford To Opt For US-Led ‘Anti-China’ QUAD Over The BRICS Bloc?
- In post-Taliban world, will Quad’s rise see Brics fall?
- QUAD or BRICS? India’s Strategic Dilemma
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