Summits and Conferences

Summits and Conferences are formal meetings held globally or nationally to discuss pressing issues like climate change, trade, technology, peace, health, etc.
They are important for international cooperation, policy formulation, and India’s global image.
In BPSC, questions often appear from recent summits, India’s hosting, and theme-based conferences.

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❖ INTERNATIONAL

🟩 17th BRICS Summit 2025:

• Held at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (6-7 July 2025).
• Adopted the Rio de Janeiro Declaration.
• Theme- Strengthening Global South Cooperation for a more Inclusive & Sustainable Governance.
• Attended by leaders of 11 member countries- Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Indonesia.
• Indian PM attended; India to host 18th BRICS Summit in 2026.
• PM Modi highlighted Mission LiFE, ISA, Global Biofuel Alliance, UPI & DPI.
• Adopted declarations on Climate Finance, AI Governance and Health Equity.

🟩 NATO Summit 2025:

• Held in Hague, Netherlands (June 2025).
• Member countries agree to raise defence spending to 5% of their GDP.
• Approved the 2026-30 Common Funding Resource Plan.
• NATO Summit 2026 in Ankara, Turkiye
• NATO Foreign Ministers Informal Meeting at Helsingborg, Sweden in 2026.
• Future Forces event in 2026.

🟩 22nd SCO Defence Minister Summit 2025:

• Held at Qingdao, China (26 June 2025).
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh represented India. He congratulated Belarus as the new member.
• India refused to sign the joint declaration as it didn’t mention the Pahalgam terror attack in J&K
• China is hosting the 25th SCO Summit, set to take place in Tianjin from 31st August to 1 September 2025.
  Theme “Upholding the Shanghai Spirit: SCO On the Move”.

🟩 UN Ocean Conference 2025 (UNOC3):

• Held in Nice, France (June 2025).
• French Polynesia pledged to create world’s largest marine protected area.
• Indonesia & World Bank introduced a ‘Coral Bond’ to fund Reef conservation.
• Triple Planetary Crisis- Climate change, biodiversity loss & Pollution.
• Theme- Our Ocean, Our Future: United for Urgent Action.
• Goal- Support SDG-14 (Life Below Water).

🟩 51st G7 Summit:

• Held at Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada (June 2025).
• PM Modi attended, though India is not a member; held a bilateral meeting with PM of Canada Mark Carney.
• The President of the European Commission was invited for the first time.
• Major Outcomes- Kananaskis Wildlife Charter; Critical Mineral Alliance.
• Members- US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Japan. Canada joined later. Russia joined in 1997 but was expelled after the Crimea annexation in 2014.
• G7 2026 in Evian, France. (The Second time Evian will host the G7 Summit).

🟩 46th ASEAN Summit:

• Held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (May 2025).
• Theme “Empowering Women, Energizing ASEAN…..”
• Timor Leste may join ASEAN as an 11th Member in October 2025.
  (10 Members currently- Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Phillipines, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia & Myanmar).
• ASEAN-GCC & ASEAN-GCC- China Summit in Kuala Lumpur.
• Headquarter at Jakarta, Indonesia.

🟩 78th World Health Assembly:

• Held in Geneva, Switzerland (May 2025).
• Theme- One World for Health.

🟩 World Hydrogen Summit 2025:

• Held in Rotterdam, Netherlands (May 2025).
• The largest dedicated hydrogen event.

🟩 1st Sagarmatha Sambaad:

• Kathmandu, Nepal (May 2025).
• Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav participated.
• Mount Everest is Sagarmatha in Nepal.
• Theme “Climate change, Mountain….”.

🟩 24th Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA):

• Hosted by Sri Lanka (virtually; May 2025). Adopted “Colombo Communique”.
• Theme “Sustainable Indian Ocean for future generation”.
• All 23 (France 23rd Member) IORA States & 12 Dialogue Partners participated.
• India, currently the Vice-Chair & part of Troika, will assume the Chair-ship for the 2025–27 term.

🟩 6th BIMSTEC Summit:

• Held in Bangkok, Thailand (April 2025).
• Theme- Prosperous, Resilient, and Open BIMSTEC.
• Key Outcomes- BIMSTEC Bangkok Vision 2030.
• PM Modi received the World Tripitaka: Sajjhaya Phonetic Edition from Thai PM
  (Tripitaka- Buddhist texts Vinaya, Sutta and Abhidhamma Pitaka).
• India’s Initiatives:
  • Proposed BIMSTEC Chamber of Commerce.
  • Launched BODHI Program to train 300 youth.
  • Scholarships in Forestry Research Institute of India & at Nalanda University.
  • BIMSTEC Energy Centre in Bengaluru.
  • To host BIMSTEC Traditional Music Festival, 1st BIMSTEC Home Ministers’ Meeting, BIMSTEC Young Leaders’ Summit and BIMSTEC Athletics Meet in 2025.
  • BIMSTEC Games in 2027.
• Bangladesh (Muhammad Yunus) is the new chair for next 2 Years.

🟩 3rd BIMSTEC Agriculture Ministerial Meeting:

• Held in Kathmandu, Nepal (April 2025).
• Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chauhan led the Indian delegation.

🟩 Global Justice, Love & Peace Summit:

• Dubai, UAE (April 2025).

🟩 9th Global Technology Summit 2025:

• Held in New Delhi (April 2025).
• Theme: Sambhavna - Possibilities.
• Peace Charter titled “A love letter to humanity”.
• Launched “I am a Peacekeeper movement”.

🟩 24th World Sustainable Development Summit:

• New Delhi; Inaugurated by Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupendra Yadav (March 2025).
• Theme - Partnerships for Accelerating Sustainable Development and Climate Solutions.
• Organized by - TERI (The Energy & Resources Institute).

🟩 Mobile World Congress 2025:

• Barcelona, Spain (March 2025). Organized by GSMA.
• Union Minister for Communication Jyotiraditya Scindia represented India.

🟩 14th ASEAN Defence Minister’ Meeting - Plus Expert Working Group on Counter-Terrorism:

• New Delhi (March 2025).
• Co-chaired by India & Malaysia for 2024–27 Cycle.
• Participants - 10 ASEAN Members + India, China, Japan, South Korea, Russia, USA, Australia, New Zealand
  (UPSC Pre 2016)

🟩 8th Indian Ocean Conference (IOC), 2025:

• Muscat, Oman (Feb 2025).
• Theme - Voyage to New Horizons of Maritime Partnership.
• External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar represented India.

🟩 World Government Summit 2025:

• Dubai (Feb 2025).
• Theme - Shaping Future Governments.

🟩 4th India-UK Energy Dialogue:

• New Delhi (Feb 2025).
• Launched India-UK ASPIRE Program.

🟩 AI Action Summit 2025:

• Paris, France.
• Co-chaired by India & France. PM Modi participated.
• It is the 3rd such Summit following the Bletchley Park Summit (UK 2023) & Seoul Summit (S. Korea 2024).
• 2nd India-France AI Policy Roundtable held on its sideline.
• PM Modi recalled Savarkar’s ‘courageous escape’ from British custody at Marseille, France.

🟩 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2025:

• Davos-Klosters, Switzerland (Jan 2025).
• Theme “Collaboration for the Intelligent Age”.
• WEF publications:
  • Global Gender Gap Index (UPSC 2017),
  • Global Competitiveness Report (UPSC 2019),
  • Global Risk Report,
  • Travel & Tourism Index,
  • Energy Transition Index,
  • Global IT Report.

🟩 UNCCD COP-16:

• Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
• First time held in the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region.
• UNCCD & UNU-INWEH released a report “Economics of Drought…..”
• COP 17 in Mongolia (2026).

🟩 11th D-8 (Developing - 8) Summit:

• Cairo, Egypt (Dec 2024).
• Members - Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan & Turkiye.
• Established through the Istanbul Declaration in 1997.

🟩 19th G20 2024:

• Rio de Janeiro Declaration, Brazil (Nov 2024).
• Brazil hosted the G20 Summit for the first time.
• First time AU participated as full member (Inducted at India’s Presidency in 2023).
• 19 Countries + EU + AU.
• Theme - Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet.
• Key Outcomes:
  • Global Alliance against Hunger & Poverty.
  • Lebanon & Gaza Ceasefire.
  • Proposed Inclusion of new 18th SDG on ethnic-racial equality.
  • Taxing the Super Rich/Billionaires.
  • Supported CoP 29 in Baku.
• The 18th G20 Summit was held in India in 2023.
• South Africa will host the 20th G20 Summit in November 2025.

🟩 Global Media Congress 2024:

• Abu Dhabi, UAE.
• Theme - Shaping Future Media.

🟩 8th Future Investment Initiative 2024 (Nicknamed “Davos in the Desert”):

• Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Organized by FII Institute.
• Indian Minister of Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal attended.
• Theme “Infinite Horizons: Investing Today, Shaping Tomorrow”.

🟩 COP-16 of Convention of Biological Diversity:

• Cali, Colombia (Oct–Nov 2024); resumed and concluded in Rome, Italy in Feb 2025.
• Theme “Peace with Nature”.
• Efforts to protect biodiversity under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework:
  • 30% degraded ecosystems to be restored by 2030.
• Key Outcomes:
  • Cali Fund; Target to raise $200 million/year by 2030.
  • New body to protect indigenous people’s knowledge.
• India‘s commitment:
  • 23 National Biodiversity Targets.
  • Conserve 30% of natural areas.
  • Cut 50% of invasive alien species.
  • ₹81.6k crore to be spent between 2025–30.

🟩 UNFCCC COP-29:

• Baku, Azerbaijan (Nov 2024).
• Focus on finalizing New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) to triple climate finance for developing countries to 300 Billion dollar per year by 2035 – India rejected because the amount is insufficient.
• India advocated for $1.3 trillion annually.
• Declaration on reducing Methane from organic waste – India is not a signatory.
• Extend the Lima Action Programme on Gender.
  A new Gender Action Plan to be adopted at COP 30 in Belem, Brazil.
• Launched Baku Harmoniya Climate Initiative for Farmers in partnership with FAO.

🟩 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit 2024:

• Lima, Peru (Nov 2024). 21 Member Economies. India is not a member.
• Resulted in the Machu Picchu declaration.
• Theme “Empower. Include. Grow”
• Summit South Korea (October 2025).
• Established in 1989. Secretariat at Singapore.

🟩 7th International Solar Assembly:

• New Delhi.
• India was re-elected as President of ISA from 2024–26 with France as Vice-President.
• 3rd edition of World Solar Report series released.

🟩 27th Commonwealth Head of Government Meeting (CHOGM):

• Apia, Samoa hosted with support from Australia (Oct 2024) – First time held in a Pacific Island Country.
• Kiren Rijiju, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs participated.
• Theme “One Resilient Common Future…..”.
• 28th CHOGM in Antigua & Barbuda in 2026.

🟩 21st ASEAN-India Summit & 19th East Asia Summit:

• Vientiane, Lao PDR (Oct 2024). (Next Chair – Malaysia)
• It marked 10 years of India’s Act East Policy.
• PM Narendra Modi announced a 10-point plan including:
  • 2025 as ASEAN-India Year of Tourism.
  • Scholarships for ASEAN students.
  • AITIGA (ASEAN India Trade In Goods Agreement) review by 2025.
  • Agreed on ASEAN-India Plan of Action (2026–30).
• Timor-Leste became Observer in 2022 & ASEAN has agreed in principle to accept it as its 11th member.

🟩 Asia Clean Energy Summit:

• Singapore (Oct 2024).

🟩 9th AIIB Board of Governors Meeting:

• Samarkand, Uzbekistan (Sept 2024).
• India was represented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
• Theme: “Building Resilient Infrastructure for All”.
• India is the 2nd largest shareholder (7.58%) after China.
• AIIB President: Jin Liqun (China); HQ Beijing.

🟩 4th in-person Quad Leaders Summit 2024 (6th Quad Summit):

• Hosted by the then US president in Wilmington, Delaware, USA (Sept 2024).
• India will host the next Quad Summit in 2025. (Detailed explanation in the Chapter–USA)

❖ NATIONAL

🟩 Waves Summit 2025:

• Mumbai, India (May 2025).
• Organized by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.
• Focus – Growth of India’s Orange Economy (Creative Economy).
• Tagline – Connecting Creators, Connecting Countries.
• WAVES Bazar was introduced as a global e-marketplace for Indian content creators.

🟩 4th India–Central Asia Dialogue 2025:

• New Delhi (June 2025). S. Jaishankar Chaired.
• Members – India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan & Tajikistan. (Foreign Ministers’ Meet)
• 1st in Samarkand (2019).

🟩 International Buyer–Seller Summit 2025:

• Patna, Bihar (May 2025).
• Organised by APEDA, TPCI (Trade Promotion Council Of India), State government & Ministry of Food Processing.
• Bihar showcased its Agri-Food potential.

🟩 Inclusive India Summit:

• New Delhi (May 2025).
• Organized by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

🟩 STREE Summit on Women Safety & Empowerment:

• Hyderabad (April 2025) by Hyderabad City Security Council.

🟩 10th Raisina Dialogue:

• New Delhi; inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi (March 2025).
• Theme: Kalachakra – People, Peace & Planet.
• Chief Guest – New Zealand PM Christopher Luxon.
• Organised by ORF & MEA.

🟩 Nari Shakti se Viksit Bharat Conference:

• New Delhi by the Ministry of Women & Child Development (8 March 2025 – International Women’s Day).
• President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated.

🟩 First ever Fit India Carnival:

• JLN Stadium, New Delhi (March 2025).
• Minister for Youth, Mansukh Mandviya inaugurated.

🟩 First BIMSTEC Youth Summit:

• Gandhinagar, Gujarat (Feb 2025).
• Theme – Youth as a Bridge for Intra–BIMSTEC Exchange.

🟩 Aero India 2025:

• Bengaluru (Feb 2025).

🟩 9th Asia Economic Dialogue:

• Pune, Maharashtra (Feb 2025).
• Hosted by MEA.
• Theme “Economic Resilience & Resurgence….”

🟩 Kashi Tamil Sangamam 3.0:

• Varanasi, UP (Feb 2025).

🟩 98th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan:

• New Delhi (Feb 2025).

🟩 31st National Children’s Science Congress:

• Bhopal (Jan 2025). MP CM inaugurated the automation of Varahmihir Astronomical Observatory.

🟩 1st Asian Buddhist Summit 2024:

• New Delhi (Nov 2024) by Ministry of Culture & International Buddhist Confederation.
• Theme – Role of Buddha Dhamma in Strengthening Asia.

🟩 Water Sustainability Conference:

• New Delhi. Union Minister of Jal Shakti CR Patil inaugurated.

🟩 Aadi Mahotsava 2025:

• New Delhi.

🟩 85th All India Presiding Officer Conference:

• Patna, Bihar (20–21 Jan 2025). Om Birla inaugurated.
• Theme – 75th Anniversary of Constitution: Contribution of Parliament & State Legislative Bodies in Strengthening Constitutional Values.
• Preceded by 61st Conference of Secretaries of Legislative Bodies in India on 19 January 2025 in Patna.

🟩 18th Pravasi Bhartiya Summit:

• Bhubaneshwar, Odisha (Jan 8–10, 2025) – First time in Eastern India.
• Theme – “Diaspora’s contribution to a Viksit Bharat”.
• Gandhiji returned from South Africa on 9 January 1915.

🟩 13th National Seed Congress:

• Varanasi, UP (Nov 2024).

🟩 SEMICON India 2024:

• Greater Noida, UP (Sept 2024).

🟩 8th India Mobile Congress, 2024:

• New Delhi.