The major objective of South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation is -
The major objective of South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation is -
Options
Official answer
The correct answer is (D) to co-operate member states for economic growth, social progress and cultural development through multilateral means.
Why D is correct: This mirrors the SAARC Charter's stated purpose — regional cooperation among South Asian states to promote welfare, accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development, largely through multilateral cooperation rather than bilateral disputes.
Marking scheme
- 1.1 mark: correct option (D) selected.
Hint
Recall SAARC's charter — cooperation and multilateral welfare goals, not a currency union or global power ambition.
Quick oral answer
SAARC's major objective is to promote cooperation among South Asian states for economic growth, social progress and cultural development through multilateral means.
Common mistakes
- 1.Confusing SAARC's cooperative economic objective with a currency union, which SAARC never established.
- 2.Assuming SAARC's aim is to eliminate all regional conflict, when in reality persistent political differences (especially India-Pakistan) have limited its success.
Analysis and explanation
This question checks knowledge of the formal objectives with which SAARC was established in 1985.
Why option D is correct
- SAARC's founding charter explicitly lists promotion of economic growth, social progress and cultural development among South Asian nations as core goals.
- It seeks to achieve these through multilateral (many-country) cooperation rather than one-on-one bilateral diplomacy, which is often strained by rivalries such as the India-Pakistan relationship.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) SAARC was never conceived as a rival 'centre of power' like the EU or a major bloc — its scope is regional cooperation, not global power projection.
- (B) SAARC has no common currency; SAFTA (2002) only aimed at reducing tariffs and creating a free trade area, unlike the Eurozone's single currency.
- (C) SAARC has been precisely hampered by an inability to resolve regional conflicts (e.g., India-Pakistan tensions), and it does not claim to exclude external powers entirely from regional calculations.
Exam trap: Students sometimes confuse SAARC's economic/social cooperation goal with grander political ambitions like currency union or complete conflict resolution, which are not part of its charter.
Interesting facts
SAARC was established on 8 December 1985 in Dhaka, Bangladesh, with seven founding members; Afghanistan joined later in 2007 as the eighth member.
Despite its cooperative charter, SAARC summits have often been postponed or cancelled due to India-Pakistan tensions, most notably after 2016.
The SAARC Secretariat is headquartered in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Question details
Q26 of 38 questions
- Board
- CBSE
- Class
- Class 12
- Subject
- Political Science
- Year
- 2026
- Section
- Section D
- Marks
- 1
- Chapter
- Contemporary South Asia
- Topic
- Objectives of SAARC
- Bloom's level
- understand
- Syllabus topic
- Contemporary South Asia — SAARC: formation, objectives and functioning
- Author
- CBSE
- Reviewed by
- Padhantu Academic Team
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Frequently asked questions
When was SAARC established and by how many countries?
SAARC was established on 8 December 1985 in Dhaka by seven South Asian countries — India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives. Afghanistan joined in 2007 as the eighth member.
Does SAARC have a common currency like the European Union?
No. SAARC has no common currency. Its economic initiative, SAFTA (2002), aimed only at creating a free trade area by reducing tariffs, not a monetary union.