Pralhad Joshi Reviews Education Ministry Key Initiatives After BRICS Meet, Discusses Next Steps

Pralhad Joshi reviewed Education Ministry initiatives and implementation priorities after the BRICS Education Ministers' Meeting. Check key focus areas.

Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi chairs meeting with officials

Source : ANI

New Delhi: Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi has reviewed the ongoing work of the Education Ministry and discussed the next course of action with senior officials following the conclusion of the 13th BRICS Education Ministers' Meeting in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. 

The review focused on key initiatives, implementation priorities and areas requiring greater attention as the Centre works towards strengthening India's education ecosystem. 

Joshi chaired the 13th BRICS Education Ministers' Meeting, which concluded with the adoption of the 13th BRICS Education Ministers' Declaration on Friday. The declaration outlined several areas of cooperation, including early childhood education, foundational learning, skill development, research, and innovation. 

Pralhad Joshi Reviews Education Ministry’s Ongoing Initiatives 

After returning to New Delhi from the BRICS meeting, Joshi held discussions with senior officials of the Ministry of Education to assess ongoing programmes and determine the next steps. 

In an X post, Joshi wrote, "Back in New Delhi after the 13th BRICS Education Ministers' Meeting, held detailed discussions with senior officials of the @EduMinOFIndia last night, on the next course of action and key areas requiring focused attention. We reviewed the Ministry's ongoing initiatives, discussed implementation priorities and reaffirmed our commitment to ensuring timely and effective execution of programmes aimed at strengthening India's education ecosystem." 

He added, "The meeting also provided an opportunity to align our efforts with the vision of building an inclusive, future-ready and globally competitive education system," he added. 

Joshi recently took charge of the Education Ministry after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned from the post following protests by students over the NEET-UG paper leak. 

BRICS Education Meeting Focuses On Future-Ready Learning 

During the BRICS meeting, Joshi emphasised India's intention to work closely with other BRICS nations on education-related priorities. He expressed confidence that discussions held during India's BRICS Chairship would lead to concrete action. 

The minister also referred to India's 2026 BRICS Chairship theme, "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability." He stressed that education systems need to equip young people to take advantage of emerging opportunities while ensuring that human values remain an important part of learning. 

Learners, teachers, researchers and young people, he said, should remain central to policymaking as well as international cooperation in education. 

Key Areas Covered In 13th BRICS Education Declaration 

The declaration adopted at the meeting identified several areas for strengthening cooperation among BRICS countries. 

These include improving Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) and Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN), both of which are important to building strong learning foundations among children. 

The participating countries also highlighted greater collaboration in skill development and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). Cooperation in this area is aimed at supporting learners with skills relevant to changing employment and economic needs. 

Another focus area was the development of research, innovation, and start-up ecosystems. The declaration also covered Mutual Recognition of Qualifications (MRQ) and capacity building for academic leadership and institutional development. 

Traditional Knowledge Systems Get BRICS Focus 

The BRICS Education Ministers' Meeting also welcomed India's initiative concerning the BRICS Guiding Principles on Strengthening Academic Collaboration on Traditional and Indigenous Knowledge Systems. 

The meeting suggested that the BRICS Network University may consider adding traditional and indigenous knowledge systems as an additional International Thematic Group. 

The outcome adds another dimension to cooperation between BRICS countries by bringing traditional and indigenous knowledge into discussions around academic collaboration and higher education. 

Education Ministry Reaffirms Focus On Implementation 

The post-BRICS review indicates a focus on translating the outcomes of international discussions into programmes and initiatives within India's education ecosystem. 

With areas such as foundational learning, skill development, research, innovation, academic collaboration and traditional knowledge included among the priorities, the ministry is expected to focus on implementation of the initiatives discussed at the meeting.

(With ANI Inputs)