What happened: BRICS Youth Ministers’ Meeting concludes and adopts a Joint Statement

The BRICS Youth Ministers’ Meeting, organised by the Department of Youth Affairs under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, concluded in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh on 22 August 2026. The meeting deliberated on youth cooperation among BRICS countries and adopted a Joint Statement as a key outcome.

The meeting was presided over by Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, together with Smt. Raksha Nikhil Khadse, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, and Sh. Sunil Paliwal, Secretary, Department of Youth Affairs.

Key thematic areas highlighted in the adopted Joint Statement included education and skills, youth entrepreneurship, science and innovation, social and cultural participation and volunteering, combating poverty and inequalities, health and sports, youth and environment and sustainability, interfaith youth dialogue, youth exchange, and youth inclusion.

Background and earlier position: Youth engagements under India’s BRICS Chairship 2026

The BRICS Youth Ministers’ Meeting built upon earlier BRICS youth engagements: the BRICS Youth Summit and the BRICS Youth Council Meeting, held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat on 19–20 August 2026. These earlier engagements fed recommendations and perspectives into the ministerial level discussions.

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