Which of the following countries is not a member of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)?

Introduction / Context:
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation that promotes cooperation among South Asian countries. General knowledge questions often test whether candidates can correctly list SAARC members and distinguish them from neighbouring states that are not part of the grouping.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The organisation in focus is SAARC.
• The options given are Afghanistan, Pakistan, Maldives and Myanmar.
• We assume the standard membership list after the inclusion of Afghanistan.
• The task is to find the country that is not a member.

Concept / Approach:
SAARC's member states are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Any country outside this set is not a SAARC member. By comparing the options with this list, we can immediately identify the non member.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the full list of SAARC members: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.Step 2: Examine option Afghanistan: it joined SAARC later but is definitely a member, so it is not the correct answer.Step 3: Examine option Pakistan: Pakistan is a founding member of SAARC, so it is clearly part of the organisation.Step 4: Examine option Maldives: Maldives is one of the smaller island members of SAARC and participates actively in SAARC summits.Step 5: Examine option Myanmar: although it is a neighbour of India and Bangladesh and part of ASEAN, it is not a SAARC member state. Therefore, Myanmar is the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
One can verify by using a mental map of South Asia. SAARC covers eight countries around the Indian subcontinent. Myanmar belongs geographically more to Southeast Asia and is a member of ASEAN, not SAARC. Because the other three options are on every standard SAARC list, Myanmar stands out as the only non member.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Afghanistan: Admitted as the eighth member of SAARC, so it is part of the grouping.

Pakistan: A founding SAARC member that frequently hosts and attends SAARC summits.

Maldives: A small island nation that is an original member of SAARC and regularly appears in SAARC related questions.

Common Pitfalls:
Some candidates confuse regional organisations and assume any neighbouring Asian country might belong to SAARC. Because Myanmar is close to India and Bangladesh, it may be mistakenly included. Others forget that Afghanistan joined SAARC and wrongly treat it as a non member. Constant revision of SAARC membership helps avoid these errors.

Final Answer:
The country listed that is not a member of SAARC is Myanmar.