India Proposes Two New BRICS Tax Working Groups at Heads of Tax Authorities Meeting

The meeting of BRICS heads of tax authorities was held on 23 September 2026 at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in New Delhi, under India's BRICS chairship of 2026. Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated the meeting. India proposed two new permanent working groups — one on International Taxation and Transfer Pricing and one on Revenue Statistics. Sitharaman argued that BRICS economies need a stronger voice in ongoing global tax rule negotiations. Revenue Secretary Arvind Shrivastava said the collective BRICS voice in multilateral tax talks is currently insufficient. The item matters for questions on BRICS, tax multilateralism and India's global economic diplomacy.

What Happened

On 23 September 2026, the meeting of BRICS heads of tax authorities was held at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in New Delhi. It was organised under India's BRICS chairship of 2026. Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated the meeting. India used the occasion to propose two new working groups — one on International Taxation and Transfer Pricing, and one on Revenue Statistics. Sitharaman said the decisions taken in ongoing multilateral tax processes over the next few years will shape cross-border taxation for a generation, which is why BRICS economies need real input into them.

When & Where

The meeting was held on 23 September 2026 at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in New Delhi. India held the BRICS chairship for 2026 and hosted the BRICS Summit in New Delhi in September 2026. China takes over the chairship in 2027, so proposals designed to outlast one chairship matter more than proposals tied to a single year.

Who Is Involved

Ministry of Finance, Government of India — host and chair of the meeting.
Nirmala Sitharaman — Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, who inaugurated the meeting.
Arvind Shrivastava — Revenue Secretary, who spoke on the insufficiency of the collective BRICS voice.
Tax administrations of BRICS member countries — the heads of tax authorities who attended.
National Academy of Direct Taxes, Nagpur — the institution that hosted the first BRICS Young Tax Professionals Programme in April 2026.

How It Works

BRICS cooperation runs through a rotating chairship. The country holding the chair sets the agenda and hosts the meetings, which is why India shaped this year's tax agenda.
Work is divided into tracks and working groups. A working group meets regularly and produces papers, which gives continuity that a single meeting cannot.
A proposal to create a permanent working group therefore locks the subject into the calendar of future chairs, including China in 2027.
The International Taxation and Transfer Pricing group is meant to be a standing platform for sharing expertise on treaty interpretation and on audits.
The Revenue Statistics group is meant to build comparable tax data across members, so that common fiscal problems can be measured before they are debated.
Alongside the groups, practical instruments were discussed — a Tax Collaboration Tool, a Tax Knowledge Hub and a Cross-Learning Lab — which are meant to carry day-to-day cooperation between meetings.

Why It Matters

Diplomatic angle: global tax rules have been written largely in developed-country forums, and BRICS is asserting a claim to shape them.
Economic angle: transfer pricing disputes consume a disproportionate share of developing countries' administrative capacity, so shared expertise has a direct revenue value.
Institutional angle: proposing permanent working groups rather than one-off task forces is an attempt to leave a structure behind after the chairship ends.
Domestic angle: India presented its own tax administration reforms — faceless assessment, pre-filled returns, real-time invoice verification and artificial-intelligence-based taxpayer support — as a model worth sharing.

Historical Background

The idea of BRIC as a group of large emerging economies was coined in 2001, and the first BRIC summit was held in 2009 at Yekaterinburg in Russia. South Africa joined in 2010, turning BRIC into BRICS. The group built financial institutions of its own, including the New Development Bank and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement in 2014. Membership was widened from 2024, when Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates joined. Tax cooperation has been part of the BRICS finance track for years, with meetings of heads of tax authorities held under successive chairs. The 2026 meeting continues that line but tries to make the cooperation permanent rather than annual.

Previous Related Events

India hosted the BRICS Summit in New Delhi in September 2026 under its chairship.
The first BRICS Young Tax Professionals Programme was held in April 2026 at the National Academy of Direct Taxes in Nagpur.
India concluded the BRICS Trade Ministers' Meeting and the BRICS Industry Ministers' Meeting in Jaipur under its 2026 chairship.

Static GK Connection

BRICS — a grouping of major emerging economies with a rotating chairship and no permanent secretariat, which is why institutional continuity depends on working groups.
New Development Bank — the BRICS multilateral development bank, established in 2014, with its headquarters in Shanghai.
Transfer pricing — the pricing of transactions between related companies in different countries. Tax authorities test such prices against the arm's length principle, which asks what unrelated parties would have charged.
Base Erosion and Profit Shifting — the practice of shifting profits to low-tax jurisdictions. The OECD and G20 Inclusive Framework addressed it, and its second pillar set a global minimum corporate tax rate of 15 per cent.
United Nations Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation — a treaty being negotiated at the United Nations to move tax rule-making into a more universal forum.

India & World Comparison

The centre of gravity in international tax rule-making has been the OECD, whose membership is largely developed economies, with the G20 Inclusive Framework widening participation. Developing countries have argued for years that the United Nations is the more representative forum, which is why the negotiations on a United Nations framework convention matter. India's position at this meeting was to strengthen the BRICS bloc's collective voice within those processes rather than to work only bilaterally. India also has one of the largest networks of Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements and a large body of transfer pricing litigation, which gives it both the experience and the incentive to lead such a group.

Future Impact

If the two working groups are approved, they will meet under China's chairship in 2027 and beyond.
Comparable revenue statistics across BRICS members would make it possible to build joint positions backed by data.
India's proposals feed into the ongoing negotiations on the United Nations framework convention on international tax cooperation.
The Young Tax Professionals Programme becoming an annual event would build a lasting network of officials across the member countries.

🔑 Key Points for Revision

Meeting of BRICS heads of tax authorities held on 23 September 2026 in New Delhi.
Venue was Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, New Delhi.
Held under India's BRICS chairship of 2026.
Inaugurated by Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
India proposed a working group on International Taxation and Transfer Pricing.
India also proposed a working group on Revenue Statistics.
The groups are designed to continue past India's 2026 chairship.
Revenue Secretary Arvind Shrivastava called the collective BRICS voice currently insufficient.
Tax Collaboration Tool, Tax Knowledge Hub and Cross-Learning Lab were discussed.
A VAT Modernisation Report and an HR Development Index are under development.
BRICS Young Tax Professionals Programme was first held in April 2026 at Nagpur.
The host institution was the National Academy of Direct Taxes, Nagpur.
China takes over the BRICS chairship in 2027.
Negotiations on a United Nations framework convention on international tax cooperation were referenced.
India cited faceless assessment and pre-filled returns as its own reform examples.

🧠 Concept Link (Static GK Deep Dive)

Core Concept: International Tax Cooperation and Transfer Pricing

Definition: international tax cooperation is the set of rules and exchanges by which countries decide who may tax cross-border income and how they share information to do it.
Legal Basis: cooperation runs on bilateral Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements, on multilateral instruments, and now on a framework convention being negotiated at the United Nations.
Economic Principle: a multinational company can shift reported profit to a low-tax country by pricing internal transactions favourably. The arm's length principle counters this by asking what unrelated firms would have charged.
Link to this event: India's proposed working group on International Taxation and Transfer Pricing is aimed exactly at this problem, since such disputes drain the capacity of developing tax administrations.
Origin & History: the BRIC idea dates to 2001, the first BRIC summit was held in 2009 at Yekaterinburg, and South Africa joined in 2010.
Key milestone 1: the New Development Bank and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement were established in 2014.
Key milestone 2: BRICS membership was widened from 2024, when Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates joined.
Related Institutions / Processes: OECD and G20 Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting; the global minimum corporate tax rate of 15 per cent under its second pillar; the United Nations framework convention negotiations.
Nodal Ministry / Body: in India, the Ministry of Finance, with the Department of Revenue and the Central Board of Direct Taxes handling direct tax administration.
India-specific relevance: India has a large transfer pricing caseload and a wide treaty network, so shifts in global tax rules directly affect its revenue base.
Global comparison: developed economies have shaped rules mainly through the OECD, while developing countries prefer the United Nations as the more representative forum.
Data point: the first BRICS Young Tax Professionals Programme was held in April 2026 at the National Academy of Direct Taxes, Nagpur.
Common exam angle: examiners ask which country holds the BRICS chairship, where the New Development Bank is headquartered, what transfer pricing means, and which forum is negotiating the tax convention.
Easy memory hook: "India 2026, China 2027, two new groups — Transfer Pricing and Revenue Statistics."

❓ Practice MCQs

Q1. In which city was the meeting of BRICS heads of tax authorities held on 23 September 2026? [Easy]

A) Mumbai

B) New Delhi

C) Jaipur

D) Nagpur

Answer: B

Explanation: The meeting was held at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in New Delhi under India's BRICS chairship of 2026.

Q2. Who inaugurated the BRICS heads of tax authorities meeting? [Easy]

A) The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India

B) The Revenue Secretary

C) The Union Commerce Minister

D) Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

Answer: D

Explanation: Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated the meeting in New Delhi.

Q3. Which two new working groups did India propose at the meeting? [Moderate]

A) International Taxation and Transfer Pricing, and Revenue Statistics

B) Customs Valuation, and Digital Services Tax

C) VAT Harmonisation, and Wealth Tax

D) Carbon Tax, and Tax Amnesty

Answer: A

Explanation: India proposed permanent working groups on International Taxation and Transfer Pricing and on Revenue Statistics.

Q4. Which country takes over the BRICS chairship in 2027? [Moderate]

A) Brazil

B) Russia

C) China

D) South Africa

Answer: C

Explanation: India held the chairship in 2026 and China takes it over in 2027, which is why India pressed for permanent mechanisms.

Q5. Where was the first BRICS Young Tax Professionals Programme held? [Moderate]

A) Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi

B) National Institute of Financial Management, Faridabad

C) Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie

D) National Academy of Direct Taxes, Nagpur

Answer: D

Explanation: The first edition was held in April 2026 at the National Academy of Direct Taxes in Nagpur.

Q6. Negotiations on a framework convention on international tax cooperation are being conducted under which body? [Tricky]

A) World Trade Organization

B) United Nations

C) Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

D) International Monetary Fund

Answer: B

Explanation: A framework convention on international tax cooperation is being negotiated at the United Nations, a forum developing countries see as more representative.

Q7. Who is the Revenue Secretary who spoke at the BRICS tax meeting? [Tricky]

A) Rajesh Kumar Singh

B) Sanjay Malhotra

C) Arvind Shrivastava

D) Tuhin Kanta Pandey

Answer: C

Explanation: Revenue Secretary Arvind Shrivastava said the collective BRICS voice in multilateral tax discussions is currently insufficient.

Q8. Why did India want the two new bodies created as permanent working groups? [Tricky]

A) So that they continue beyond India's 2026 chairship as standing institutional mechanisms

B) Because BRICS rules do not allow temporary task forces

C) Because the United Nations requires member blocs to have permanent groups

D) Because the OECD funds only permanent working groups

Answer: A

Explanation: The groups were designed to outlast a single chairship, so that the work continues when China chairs BRICS in 2027.

📜 Previous Year Question Style (PYQ)

PYQ 1:

Which of the following is the multilateral development bank established by BRICS, with its headquarters in Shanghai?

A) Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

B) Asian Development Bank

C) New Development Bank

D) International Finance Corporation

Answer: C

Explanation: The New Development Bank was established by BRICS in 2014 and is headquartered in Shanghai.

PYQ 2:

Consider the following statements:

India held the BRICS chairship in 2026.
India proposed a new BRICS working group on International Taxation and Transfer Pricing.
The September 2026 meeting of BRICS heads of tax authorities was held in Mumbai.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

A) 1 only

B) 1 and 2 only

C) 2 and 3 only

D) All of the above

Answer: B

Explanation: Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 is wrong because the meeting was held in New Delhi.

PYQ 3:

Match the following:

New Development Bank headquarters — a. Shanghai
Venue of the first BRIC summit — b. Yekaterinburg
BRICS chairship in 2026 — c. India
BRICS chairship in 2027 — d. China

A) 1-a, 2-b, 3-c, 4-d

B) 1-b, 2-a, 3-d, 4-c

C) 1-a, 2-b, 3-d, 4-c

D) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c, 4-d

Answer: A

Explanation: The New Development Bank is headquartered in Shanghai, the first BRIC summit was held at Yekaterinburg in 2009, India chaired BRICS in 2026 and China chairs it in 2027.

✍️ Mains Answer Pointers

Question 1 (150 words): Why does India want BRICS to have a stronger collective voice in global tax rule-making? Explain with reference to the September 2026 meeting of BRICS heads of tax authorities.

International tax rules decide which country may tax a multinational's profit, and those rules have been written mainly in forums dominated by developed economies. India's argument at the meeting of BRICS heads of tax authorities on 23 September 2026 in New Delhi was that the rules now being settled will shape cross-border taxation for a generation, so the large emerging economies must have real input while the drafting is still open.

The practical case is administrative. Transfer pricing disputes absorb a disproportionate share of a developing country's tax capacity, and expertise on treaty interpretation and audits is scarce. A standing working group on International Taxation and Transfer Pricing pools that expertise. A second group on Revenue Statistics would give the bloc comparable data, without which joint positions rest on assertion rather than evidence.

The way forward is institutional. By proposing permanent groups rather than one-year task forces, India sought to leave a structure that survives into China's 2027 chairship.

Question 2 (250 words): Examine the evolution of BRICS from a grouping of emerging economies into a bloc that seeks to shape global economic governance, using its tax cooperation agenda as an illustration.

BRICS began as a label rather than an institution. The idea of BRIC as a set of large emerging economies dates to 2001, and the first summit followed only in 2009 at Yekaterinburg. South Africa joined in 2010. For its first decade the grouping was mainly declaratory, issuing communiques on reform of the international financial institutions.

The turn towards building institutions came in 2014, with the New Development Bank, headquartered in Shanghai, and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement. These gave the bloc instruments of its own rather than only demands addressed to others. Membership was widened from 2024, when Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates joined, enlarging both its weight and its internal diversity.

The tax agenda shows the same pattern at a finer grain. Global tax rules have been shaped largely through the OECD, with the G20 Inclusive Framework widening participation and its second pillar setting a global minimum corporate tax rate of 15 per cent. Developing countries have pressed instead for the United Nations, where a framework convention on international tax cooperation is now being negotiated. At the meeting in New Delhi on 23 September 2026, India proposed permanent BRICS working groups on International Taxation and Transfer Pricing and on Revenue Statistics, with a Tax Knowledge Hub and a Cross-Learning Lab alongside them.

The limits are real, since BRICS has no secretariat and its members differ in interest and in capacity. Yet the shift from communiques to standing working groups and comparable data is the shift from voicing preferences to negotiating with evidence.

⚠️ Examiner Trap

Trap 1: Students confuse the New Development Bank with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. The correct fact is that the New Development Bank was set up by BRICS in 2014 and is headquartered in Shanghai, while the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is a separate institution headquartered in Beijing.
Trap 2: A common wrong assumption is that India proposed one-time task forces at the meeting. The reality is that India proposed permanent working groups, designed to continue past its own chairship into China's 2027 chairship.
Trap 3: Many students miss which forum is negotiating the framework convention on international tax cooperation. Always remember that the framework convention is being negotiated at the United Nations, while the minimum corporate tax work came through the OECD and G20 Inclusive Framework.

India Proposes Two New BRICS Tax Working Groups at Heads of Tax Authorities Meeting

What Happened

When & Where

Who Is Involved

Ministry of Finance, Government of India — host and chair of the meeting.
Nirmala Sitharaman — Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, who inaugurated the meeting.
Arvind Shrivastava — Revenue Secretary, who spoke on the insufficiency of the collective BRICS voice.
Tax administrations of BRICS member countries — the heads of tax authorities who attended.
National Academy of Direct Taxes, Nagpur — the institution that hosted the first BRICS Young Tax Professionals Programme in April 2026.

How It Works

BRICS cooperation runs through a rotating chairship. The country holding the chair sets the agenda and hosts the meetings, which is why India shaped this year's tax agenda.
Work is divided into tracks and working groups. A working group meets regularly and produces papers, which gives continuity that a single meeting cannot.
A proposal to create a permanent working group therefore locks the subject into the calendar of future chairs, including China in 2027.
The International Taxation and Transfer Pricing group is meant to be a standing platform for sharing expertise on treaty interpretation and on audits.
The Revenue Statistics group is meant to build comparable tax data across members, so that common fiscal problems can be measured before they are debated.
Alongside the groups, practical instruments were discussed — a Tax Collaboration Tool, a Tax Knowledge Hub and a Cross-Learning Lab — which are meant to carry day-to-day cooperation between meetings.

Why It Matters

Diplomatic angle: global tax rules have been written largely in developed-country forums, and BRICS is asserting a claim to shape them.
Economic angle: transfer pricing disputes consume a disproportionate share of developing countries' administrative capacity, so shared expertise has a direct revenue value.
Institutional angle: proposing permanent working groups rather than one-off task forces is an attempt to leave a structure behind after the chairship ends.
Domestic angle: India presented its own tax administration reforms — faceless assessment, pre-filled returns, real-time invoice verification and artificial-intelligence-based taxpayer support — as a model worth sharing.

Historical Background

Previous Related Events

India hosted the BRICS Summit in New Delhi in September 2026 under its chairship.
The first BRICS Young Tax Professionals Programme was held in April 2026 at the National Academy of Direct Taxes in Nagpur.
India concluded the BRICS Trade Ministers' Meeting and the BRICS Industry Ministers' Meeting in Jaipur under its 2026 chairship.

Static GK Connection

BRICS — a grouping of major emerging economies with a rotating chairship and no permanent secretariat, which is why institutional continuity depends on working groups.
New Development Bank — the BRICS multilateral development bank, established in 2014, with its headquarters in Shanghai.
Transfer pricing — the pricing of transactions between related companies in different countries. Tax authorities test such prices against the arm's length principle, which asks what unrelated parties would have charged.
Base Erosion and Profit Shifting — the practice of shifting profits to low-tax jurisdictions. The OECD and G20 Inclusive Framework addressed it, and its second pillar set a global minimum corporate tax rate of 15 per cent.
United Nations Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation — a treaty being negotiated at the United Nations to move tax rule-making into a more universal forum.

India & World Comparison

Future Impact

If the two working groups are approved, they will meet under China's chairship in 2027 and beyond.
Comparable revenue statistics across BRICS members would make it possible to build joint positions backed by data.
India's proposals feed into the ongoing negotiations on the United Nations framework convention on international tax cooperation.
The Young Tax Professionals Programme becoming an annual event would build a lasting network of officials across the member countries.

🔑 Key Points for Revision

Meeting of BRICS heads of tax authorities held on 23 September 2026 in New Delhi.
Venue was Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, New Delhi.
Held under India's BRICS chairship of 2026.
Inaugurated by Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
India proposed a working group on International Taxation and Transfer Pricing.
India also proposed a working group on Revenue Statistics.
The groups are designed to continue past India's 2026 chairship.
Revenue Secretary Arvind Shrivastava called the collective BRICS voice currently insufficient.
Tax Collaboration Tool, Tax Knowledge Hub and Cross-Learning Lab were discussed.
A VAT Modernisation Report and an HR Development Index are under development.
BRICS Young Tax Professionals Programme was first held in April 2026 at Nagpur.
The host institution was the National Academy of Direct Taxes, Nagpur.
China takes over the BRICS chairship in 2027.
Negotiations on a United Nations framework convention on international tax cooperation were referenced.
India cited faceless assessment and pre-filled returns as its own reform examples.

🧠 Concept Link (Static GK Deep Dive)

Core Concept: International Tax Cooperation and Transfer Pricing

Definition: international tax cooperation is the set of rules and exchanges by which countries decide who may tax cross-border income and how they share information to do it.
Legal Basis: cooperation runs on bilateral Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements, on multilateral instruments, and now on a framework convention being negotiated at the United Nations.
Economic Principle: a multinational company can shift reported profit to a low-tax country by pricing internal transactions favourably. The arm's length principle counters this by asking what unrelated firms would have charged.
Link to this event: India's proposed working group on International Taxation and Transfer Pricing is aimed exactly at this problem, since such disputes drain the capacity of developing tax administrations.
Origin & History: the BRIC idea dates to 2001, the first BRIC summit was held in 2009 at Yekaterinburg, and South Africa joined in 2010.
Key milestone 1: the New Development Bank and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement were established in 2014.
Key milestone 2: BRICS membership was widened from 2024, when Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates joined.
Related Institutions / Processes: OECD and G20 Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting; the global minimum corporate tax rate of 15 per cent under its second pillar; the United Nations framework convention negotiations.
Nodal Ministry / Body: in India, the Ministry of Finance, with the Department of Revenue and the Central Board of Direct Taxes handling direct tax administration.
India-specific relevance: India has a large transfer pricing caseload and a wide treaty network, so shifts in global tax rules directly affect its revenue base.
Global comparison: developed economies have shaped rules mainly through the OECD, while developing countries prefer the United Nations as the more representative forum.
Data point: the first BRICS Young Tax Professionals Programme was held in April 2026 at the National Academy of Direct Taxes, Nagpur.
Common exam angle: examiners ask which country holds the BRICS chairship, where the New Development Bank is headquartered, what transfer pricing means, and which forum is negotiating the tax convention.
Easy memory hook: "India 2026, China 2027, two new groups — Transfer Pricing and Revenue Statistics."

❓ Practice MCQs

Q1. In which city was the meeting of BRICS heads of tax authorities held on 23 September 2026? [Easy]

A) Mumbai

B) New Delhi

C) Jaipur

D) Nagpur

Answer: B

Explanation: The meeting was held at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in New Delhi under India's BRICS chairship of 2026.

Q2. Who inaugurated the BRICS heads of tax authorities meeting? [Easy]

A) The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India

B) The Revenue Secretary

C) The Union Commerce Minister

D) Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

Answer: D

Explanation: Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated the meeting in New Delhi.

Q3. Which two new working groups did India propose at the meeting? [Moderate]

A) International Taxation and Transfer Pricing, and Revenue Statistics

B) Customs Valuation, and Digital Services Tax

C) VAT Harmonisation, and Wealth Tax

D) Carbon Tax, and Tax Amnesty

Answer: A

Explanation: India proposed permanent working groups on International Taxation and Transfer Pricing and on Revenue Statistics.

Q4. Which country takes over the BRICS chairship in 2027? [Moderate]

A) Brazil

B) Russia

C) China

D) South Africa

Answer: C

Explanation: India held the chairship in 2026 and China takes it over in 2027, which is why India pressed for permanent mechanisms.

Q5. Where was the first BRICS Young Tax Professionals Programme held? [Moderate]

A) Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi

B) National Institute of Financial Management, Faridabad

C) Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie

D) National Academy of Direct Taxes, Nagpur

Answer: D

Explanation: The first edition was held in April 2026 at the National Academy of Direct Taxes in Nagpur.

Q6. Negotiations on a framework convention on international tax cooperation are being conducted under which body? [Tricky]

A) World Trade Organization

B) United Nations

C) Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

D) International Monetary Fund

Answer: B

Explanation: A framework convention on international tax cooperation is being negotiated at the United Nations, a forum developing countries see as more representative.

Q7. Who is the Revenue Secretary who spoke at the BRICS tax meeting? [Tricky]

A) Rajesh Kumar Singh

B) Sanjay Malhotra

C) Arvind Shrivastava

D) Tuhin Kanta Pandey

Answer: C

Explanation: Revenue Secretary Arvind Shrivastava said the collective BRICS voice in multilateral tax discussions is currently insufficient.

Q8. Why did India want the two new bodies created as permanent working groups? [Tricky]

A) So that they continue beyond India's 2026 chairship as standing institutional mechanisms

B) Because BRICS rules do not allow temporary task forces

C) Because the United Nations requires member blocs to have permanent groups

D) Because the OECD funds only permanent working groups

Answer: A

Explanation: The groups were designed to outlast a single chairship, so that the work continues when China chairs BRICS in 2027.

📜 Previous Year Question Style (PYQ)

PYQ 1:

Which of the following is the multilateral development bank established by BRICS, with its headquarters in Shanghai?

A) Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

B) Asian Development Bank

C) New Development Bank

D) International Finance Corporation

Answer: C

Explanation: The New Development Bank was established by BRICS in 2014 and is headquartered in Shanghai.

PYQ 2:

Consider the following statements:

India held the BRICS chairship in 2026.
India proposed a new BRICS working group on International Taxation and Transfer Pricing.
The September 2026 meeting of BRICS heads of tax authorities was held in Mumbai.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

A) 1 only

B) 1 and 2 only

C) 2 and 3 only

D) All of the above

Answer: B

Explanation: Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 is wrong because the meeting was held in New Delhi.

PYQ 3:

Match the following:

New Development Bank headquarters — a. Shanghai
Venue of the first BRIC summit — b. Yekaterinburg
BRICS chairship in 2026 — c. India
BRICS chairship in 2027 — d. China

A) 1-a, 2-b, 3-c, 4-d

B) 1-b, 2-a, 3-d, 4-c

C) 1-a, 2-b, 3-d, 4-c

D) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c, 4-d

Answer: A

Explanation: The New Development Bank is headquartered in Shanghai, the first BRIC summit was held at Yekaterinburg in 2009, India chaired BRICS in 2026 and China chairs it in 2027.

✍️ Mains Answer Pointers

The way forward is institutional. By proposing permanent groups rather than one-year task forces, India sought to leave a structure that survives into China's 2027 chairship.

⚠️ Examiner Trap

Trap 1: Students confuse the New Development Bank with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. The correct fact is that the New Development Bank was set up by BRICS in 2014 and is headquartered in Shanghai, while the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is a separate institution headquartered in Beijing.
Trap 2: A common wrong assumption is that India proposed one-time task forces at the meeting. The reality is that India proposed permanent working groups, designed to continue past its own chairship into China's 2027 chairship.
Trap 3: Many students miss which forum is negotiating the framework convention on international tax cooperation. Always remember that the framework convention is being negotiated at the United Nations, while the minimum corporate tax work came through the OECD and G20 Inclusive Framework.