India has two main groups for working with its neighbours. One is SAARC, the South Asian group. The other is BIMSTEC, which links South Asia with South-East Asia across the Bay of Bengal. Exams ask about their founding, members, secretariats and key agreements. They also ask why SAARC has slowed down and BIMSTEC has grown. This post explains both in simple words. It ends with 15 previous year questions.
Key Points (Quick Revision)
- SAARC was founded on 8 December 1985 at Dhaka. It has 8 members. Its secretariat is in Kathmandu.
- Afghanistan was the last country to join SAARC, in 2007.
- BIMSTEC was founded on 6 June 1997 by the Bangkok Declaration. It has 7 members. Its secretariat is in Dhaka.
- The BIMSTEC Charter was adopted at the Colombo summit in 2022.
- India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka are members of both groups.
1. SAARC - an introduction
SAARC stands for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. The idea came from Ziaur Rahman, President of Bangladesh, in 1980.
The first summit was held at Dhaka. The SAARC Charter was signed there on 8 December 1985. That day is observed as SAARC Charter Day.
The secretariat was set up at Kathmandu, Nepal, in 1987. It is headed by a Secretary-General, chosen by rotation among members for a three-year term.
2. Members and observers of SAARC
SAARC has eight members.
| Founding members (1985) | Joined later |
|---|---|
| Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka | Afghanistan (2007) |
SAARC also has nine observers: Australia, China, the European Union, Iran, Japan, Mauritius, Myanmar, South Korea and the United States.
3. How SAARC works and what it has done
- Summits of heads of state or government are meant to be held regularly. Decisions are taken by unanimity.
- Bilateral and contentious issues are kept out of SAARC by its Charter.
- SAPTA, the South Asian Preferential Trading Arrangement, was signed in 1993.
- SAFTA, the South Asian Free Trade Area agreement, was signed in 2004 at Islamabad and came into force in 2006.
- Other bodies include the South Asian University in New Delhi, the SAARC Development Fund in Thimphu and the SAARC Disaster Management Centre.
- India launched the South Asia Satellite in 2017 as a gift to its neighbours.
4. Why SAARC has slowed down
The 18th summit was held at Kathmandu in 2014. The 19th summit was to be held at Islamabad in 2016. After the Uri attack, India pulled out. Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan also stayed away, and the summit was called off. No summit has been held since.
Three reasons are usually given.
- India-Pakistan tensions block decisions, because SAARC works by unanimity.
- Low intra-regional trade. South Asia is among the least integrated regions in the world.
- Bilateral issues are excluded, so the biggest problems cannot be discussed.
This is why India has given more attention to BIMSTEC in recent years.
5. BIMSTEC - an introduction
BIMSTEC stands for the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation.
It was founded on 6 June 1997 through the Bangkok Declaration. It began with four countries as BIST-EC - Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Myanmar joined in late 1997 and it became BIMST-EC. Nepal and Bhutan joined in 2004, and the name changed to BIMSTEC.
Its secretariat was set up at Dhaka in 2014.
| South Asia (5) | South-East Asia (2) |
|---|---|
| Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka | Myanmar, Thailand |
BIMSTEC has no observers, and Pakistan is not a member.
6. The BIMSTEC Charter and sectors
The 5th summit, held at Colombo in 2022, was a turning point. Members adopted the BIMSTEC Charter, which gave the group a legal personality.
The same summit reduced the areas of cooperation from 14 to 7 sectors, with one country leading each.
| Sector | Lead country |
|---|---|
| Trade, investment and development | Bangladesh |
| Environment and climate change | Bhutan |
| Security (including counter-terrorism, disaster management and energy) | India |
| Agriculture and food security | Myanmar |
| People-to-people contact | Nepal |
| Science, technology and innovation | Sri Lanka |
| Connectivity | Thailand |
The Colombo summit also adopted a Master Plan for Transport Connectivity.
7. SAARC vs BIMSTEC - the comparison
| Point | SAARC | BIMSTEC |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 8 December 1985, Dhaka | 6 June 1997, Bangkok |
| Members | 8 | 7 |
| Secretariat | Kathmandu | Dhaka |
| Region | South Asia only | South Asia and South-East Asia |
| Pakistan | Member | Not a member |
| Myanmar and Thailand | Not members | Members |
| Maldives and Afghanistan | Members | Not members |
For India, BIMSTEC fits its Neighbourhood First and Act East policies. It also links India's North-East with South-East Asia through the Bay of Bengal.
8. Previous year questions
- When was SAARC established? – 8 December 1985
- Where was the first SAARC summit held? – Dhaka
- Where is the SAARC secretariat located? – Kathmandu, Nepal
- How many members does SAARC have? – Eight
- Which was the last country to join SAARC? – Afghanistan (2007)
- What does SAFTA stand for? – South Asian Free Trade Area
- In which year did SAFTA come into force? – 2006
- Which SAARC summit was cancelled in 2016? – The 19th summit at Islamabad
- What does BIMSTEC stand for? – Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation
- When was BIMSTEC established? – 6 June 1997, by the Bangkok Declaration
- Where is the BIMSTEC secretariat located? – Dhaka, Bangladesh
- How many members does BIMSTEC have? – Seven
- Which two South-East Asian countries are members of BIMSTEC? – Myanmar and Thailand
- At which summit was the BIMSTEC Charter adopted? – 5th summit, Colombo, 2022
- Which sector does India lead in BIMSTEC? – Security
9. How to revise this topic
Start with the two founding dates: SAARC 8 December 1985 at Dhaka, BIMSTEC 6 June 1997 at Bangkok.
Next, fix the secretariats. They are a common trap: SAARC in Kathmandu, BIMSTEC in Dhaka.
Then learn the members. Five countries are in both; Pakistan, Maldives and Afghanistan are only in SAARC; Myanmar and Thailand are only in BIMSTEC.
Finally, remember SAFTA 2004/2006, the cancelled Islamabad summit of 2016 and the Colombo Charter of 2022.
10. Frequently Asked Questions
What is SAARC?
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, founded on 8 December 1985 at Dhaka. It has eight members - Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka - and its secretariat is in Kathmandu.
What is BIMSTEC?
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, founded on 6 June 1997 by the Bangkok Declaration. Its seven members are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand, and its secretariat is in Dhaka.
Why is SAARC not active?
No summit has been held since 2014. The 19th summit at Islamabad in 2016 was called off after India and others withdrew following the Uri attack. India-Pakistan tensions and the rule of unanimity block decisions.
Which countries are members of both SAARC and BIMSTEC?
Five countries - India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
What did the BIMSTEC Colombo summit of 2022 achieve?
It adopted the BIMSTEC Charter, reduced cooperation to seven sectors with a lead country for each, and adopted a Master Plan for Transport Connectivity. India leads the security sector.
For more Static GK topics in simple language, see our United Nations and Its Organs, International Organisations and their Headquarters and Neighbouring Countries of India posts, or browse the Static GK section. Preparing for SSC? Start with the SSC CGL guide or join the 100 Hour GS Course.