Q. With reference to a grouping of countries known as BRICS, consider the following statements:

1. The First Summit of BRICS was held in Rio de Janeiro in 2009.
2. South Africa was the last to join the BRICS grouping.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (UPSC Prelims 2014)
Answer: 2 only
Notes: The official answer in 2014 would be 2 Only but on January 1, 2024, BRICS underwent a major expansion, admitting new permanent members including Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates. Therefore, South Africa is no longer the most recent addition to the bloc currently. Statement 1 is Incorrect: The first formal summit of the grouping (then known as BRIC) took place on June 16, 2009, but it was held in Yekaterinburg, Russia, not Rio de Janeiro. The 2010 summit was held in Brasilia, Brazil, while Rio de Janeiro hosted the summit much later in 2014.