Question

Which one of the following South Asian countries is not a founder member of South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) ?

• A. Nepal
• B. Bhutan
• C. Afghanistan
• D. Bangladesh
• A. United States of America
• B. Russia
• C. France
• D. Britain
• A. to become a contemporary centre of power in the World.
• B. to establish a common currency for the regional organisation for its economic development.
• C. to solve all regional conflicts without interference of external powers.
• D. to co-operate member states for economic growth, social progress and cultural development through multilateral means.
• A. To establish a common currency for SAARC nations.
• B. To promote and enhance mutual trade and economic co-operation.
• C. To reduce custom duties and non-tariff barriers.
• D. To create a free trade area among member states.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Concept: The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was founded in Dhaka on December 8, 1985, with seven founding member nations from the South Asian region.

Step 1: Listing the original founding member countries of SAARC.
The 7 original founding members of SAARC in 1985 were:
• Bangladesh
• Bhutan
• India
• Maldives
• Nepal
• Pakistan
• Sri Lanka

Step 2: Identifying the country added at a later stage.
Afghanistan was admitted as the 8th member of SAARC during the 14th SAARC Summit held in New Delhi in April 2007. Therefore, Afghanistan is not a founder member of SAARC.

Answer 2

Concept: No region exists in isolation. External super powers significantly influence regional stability, economic development, security affairs, and bilateral disputes among South Asian countries.

Step 1: Analyzing the role of outside powers in South Asia.
According to NCERT contemporary world politics, the key outside major powers active in South Asian regional geopolitics are the United States of America (USA) and China.

Step 2: Evaluating the influence of the USA in the region.
Post-Cold War economic reforms, globalization, strategic interest in peace between nuclear-armed neighbours (India and Pakistan), and market involvement make the United States of America the predominant external superpower deeply involved in South Asian affairs and bilateral diplomacy.

Answer 3

Concept: SAARC was established as a regional platform designed to foster mutual understanding, collective self-reliance, economic collaboration, and socio-cultural progress among South Asian nations through peaceful multilateral efforts.

Step 1: Extracting the primary objective from the passage and SAARC Charter.
As stated in the passage, *"The South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) is a major regional initiative by the South Asian states to evolve co-operation through multilateral means."*

Step 2: Comparing against the given options.

• Option (A) is incorrect as SAARC is not structured as an aggressive political power bloc.
• Option (B) is incorrect because SAARC has no charter proposal for a single unified common currency.
• Option (C) is incorrect because bilateral political disputes are explicitly excluded from official SAARC forums.
• Option (D) accurately states the foundational objective: promoting welfare, economic growth, social progress, and cultural development through mutual multilateral cooperation.

Answer 4

Concept: The South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) was signed in 2004 during the 12th SAARC Summit in Islamabad to establish a free trade zone across South Asia by lowering tariffs and trade barriers.

Step 1: Identifying core objectives of SAFTA.
The fundamental aims of SAFTA include:
• Reducing trade tariffs, custom duties, and non-tariff barriers among member nations.
• Expanding regional economic cooperation and intra-regional trade.
• Creating a seamless free trade area across the South Asian subcontinent.

Step 2: Spotting the incorrect statement.
Establishing a common monetary currency (like the Euro in the EU) is NOT an objective of SAFTA or SAARC. SAFTA focuses purely on trade liberalization, tariff reduction, and commercial flow, not monetary integration. Thus, Option (A) is NOT a core objective.