In world organisations, what does the acronym BRICS stand for, and how was this grouping of emerging economies formed?

Introduction / Context:
BRICS is a well known grouping of emerging economies that plays an increasingly important role in global economic and political discussions. Many exams ask about its full form, its member countries and the way the grouping evolved from BRIC to BRICS. Understanding this helps you connect country names, summit meetings and broad trends in international relations.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question asks what BRICS stands for and how the grouping was formed.
• Options present different sets of country names and describe different types of alliances.
• Only one option correctly identifies the five countries and summarises the timeline of the group's creation and expansion.

Concept / Approach:
BRICS refers to a group of five major emerging national economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The term BRIC was originally coined to describe four large emerging markets. Foreign ministers of Brazil, Russia, India and China held a meeting in New York in 2006, and the group held its first formal summit in 2009 at Yekaterinburg in Russia. South Africa was later invited to join and became a member in 2010, after which the group's name was updated to BRICS. The grouping focuses on economic cooperation, political coordination and reforms in global governance rather than being a defence alliance.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Expand the acronym BRICS correctly as Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Step 2: Recall that BRIC originally referred to the first four countries before South Africa joined. Step 3: Remember that the grouping became more formal with summit-level meetings starting in 2009. Step 4: Note that South Africa's entry in 2010 transformed BRIC into BRICS. Step 5: Compare each option and select the one that matches this list of members and the sequence of formation.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can check any standard GK or international relations source: all will confirm that BRICS consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, and that it evolved from the earlier BRIC grouping. The descriptions in economic and political news articles also emphasise that the group focuses on development, reforms in international financial institutions and cooperation among emerging economies, not on military alliances.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Defence alliance of Bahrain, Romania, Italy, Canada and Spain: This list of countries does not match the BRICS acronym and describes a defence grouping that does not exist in this form.
Trade bloc of Bangladesh, Russia, Indonesia, Chile and Singapore: The initials do not spell BRICS, and this set of countries is not recognised as a major formal grouping under that name.
Cultural forum of Belgium, Russia, Ireland, Croatia and Sweden: Again, the initials do not form BRICS, and there is no famous world organisation with this exact membership and focus.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to forget South Africa and still think of the group as BRIC. Another error is mixing up BRICS with other regional or global organisations like NATO or ASEAN. To avoid confusion, remember that BRICS is an informal but influential economic and political grouping of five specific emerging economies that came together in a series of summits starting in 2009.

Final Answer:
BRICS is an association of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, first formed as BRIC in 2009 and expanded when South Africa joined in 2010.