Which one of the following South Asian countries is not a founder member of South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) ?
Which one of the following South Asian countries is not a founder member of South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) ?
Options
Official answer
The correct answer is (C) Afghanistan.
- SAARC was founded in 1985 by seven countries: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives.
- Afghanistan joined SAARC only in 2007, at the 14th SAARC Summit, more than two decades after its founding, making it NOT a founder member.
Marking scheme
- 1.1 mark for correctly selecting option (C) Afghanistan.
Hint
SAARC (1985) had seven founders — India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives. Afghanistan joined later, in 2007.
Quick oral answer
Afghanistan is correct because it joined SAARC only in 2007, while the other three — Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh — were founding members in 1985.
Common mistakes
- 1.Assuming all major South Asian countries were founding SAARC members without recalling that Afghanistan joined only in 2007.
- 2.Confusing SAARC's founding year (1985) with SAFTA's signing year (2002) mentioned in the same passage.
Analysis and explanation
This case-based question tests precise factual recall of SAARC's founding membership, drawn from the given passage on regional cooperation in South Asia.
Why (C) is correct
- Afghanistan became SAARC's eighth member only in April 2007 — it was not present at the organisation's founding in Dhaka in 1985.
Why the others are wrong
- (A) Nepal — was one of the seven founding members in 1985.
- (B) Bhutan — was also one of the seven founding members in 1985.
- (D) Bangladesh — in fact hosted the founding summit in Dhaka in 1985 and is itself a founder member.
Exam trap
- Students sometimes assume all major South Asian states are founding members simply because they are geographically part of South Asia — the founding list is a specific factual set that must be memorised precisely.
Interesting facts
SAARC was established on 8 December 1985 in Dhaka, Bangladesh, with seven founding members.
Afghanistan became SAARC's eighth and last member at the 14th SAARC Summit held in New Delhi in April 2007.
SAARC's charter explicitly excludes bilateral and contentious issues from its formal agenda, one reason it has struggled to resolve India-Pakistan tensions within the forum.
Question details
Q24 of 38 questions
- Board
- CBSE
- Class
- Class 12
- Subject
- Political Science
- Year
- 2026
- Section
- Section D
- Marks
- 1
- Chapter
- Contemporary South Asia
- Topic
- SAARC founding members
- Bloom's level
- remember
- Syllabus topic
- Unit 1: Contemporary World Politics — Contemporary South Asia: SAARC and regional cooperation
- Author
- CBSE
- Reviewed by
- Padhantu Academic Team
Spotted a mistake or something unclear?
Tell us and we will fix it.
Frequently asked questions
When was SAARC founded and by how many countries?
SAARC was founded on 8 December 1985 in Dhaka, Bangladesh, by seven countries: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives.
When did Afghanistan join SAARC?
Afghanistan joined SAARC in April 2007 at the 14th SAARC Summit, becoming its eighth member — more than two decades after the organisation's founding.