UPSC Mains 2016 GS2 Q19 — Regional Cooperation

• Identify specific instances of cross-border terrorism and their impact on Indo-Pak bilateral cooperation within SAARC.
• Document examples of Pakistani interference in other member states (e.g., Afghanistan, Bangladesh) to show it is a regional issue, not just an Indian one.
• Analyze how these factors lead to the current paralysis of SAARC (e.g., cancellation of summits, shift toward BIMSTEC).
• Evaluate the potential for revival versus the 'death' of the organization in the face of security trust deficits.

• Focusing only on the India-Pakistan rivalry without mentioning other member states like Afghanistan or Bangladesh.
• Failing to link security issues directly to the functional failure of SAARC (like the 19th Summit cancellation).
• Writing a general history of SAARC instead of focusing on the specific 'non-conducive' behavioral factors mentioned.
• Neglecting the shift in India's foreign policy toward 'Neighborhood First' via alternative groupings like BIMSTEC and BBIN.

Spend 40 words on the security-terrorism link and 40 words on interference in other states with examples. Devote 80 words to how these actions paralyze SAARC institutions and summits. Use the final 40 words to conclude with the shift toward alternative platforms like BIMSTEC and the necessity of a 'terror-free' environment for regionalism.