Which of the following country is not the member of the SAARC?

Question

Which of the following country is not the member of the SAARC?

1. A. Myanmar (Correct answer)
2. B. Bhutan
3. C. Nepal
4. D. Maldives

Correct Answer

Option A — Myanmar

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Myanmar.

Key Points

• SAARC — the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation — has eight members: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Afghanistan.
• Myanmar is not a member; it holds only observer status, and is instead part of ASEAN and BIMSTEC.
• SAARC was founded in 1985 at Dhaka, with Afghanistan joining as the eighth member in 2007.
• Its secretariat is at Kathmandu, Nepal.

Additional Information

• SAARC was founded on 8 December 1985 in Dhaka by seven countries; Afghanistan joined as the eighth member in 2007.
• The Secretariat is at Kathmandu, Nepal, and the Charter requires all decisions to be taken unanimously, with bilateral disputes excluded from its agenda.
• Myanmar holds only observer status, alongside China, Japan, the USA, Iran, South Korea, Australia, Mauritius and the EU — which is exactly why it appears as the distractor here.