SAARC Agriculture Centre is based in which South Asian city as a regional institution for agricultural cooperation?

Introduction / Context:
The SAARC Agriculture Centre is a specialized regional institution under the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. It supports agricultural research, information sharing, and cooperation among member states. This question asks you to identify the city where this centre is based. Knowledge of such regional institutions and their locations is valuable for exams dealing with regional cooperation and development in South Asia.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The institution is SAARC Agriculture Centre.
• The options include Islamabad, Dhaka, Colombo, and Kathmandu.
• We assume the question refers to the physical location of the centre main office.
• Standard references identify Dhaka in Bangladesh as the city where the SAARC Agriculture Centre is based.

Concept / Approach:
To answer correctly, you need to recall that SAARC has various specialized centres located in different member states. The Agriculture Centre is hosted by Bangladesh in its capital city, Dhaka. Once you remember this link between agriculture and Dhaka, you can eliminate other options such as Islamabad, Colombo, and Kathmandu, which host different types of SAARC offices or institutions.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recognize that the question is about the SAARC Agriculture Centre, not the SAARC Secretariat or other SAARC bodies. Step 2: Recall that the Agriculture Centre is based in Bangladesh, which is known for its strong focus on agricultural issues in the region. Step 3: Identify Dhaka as the capital city of Bangladesh. Step 4: Compare this memory to the options: Islamabad, Dhaka, Colombo, and Kathmandu. Step 5: Eliminate Islamabad, which is the capital of Pakistan, and Colombo, which is the capital of Sri Lanka, as they do not host this particular centre. Step 6: Note that Kathmandu is associated with the SAARC Secretariat, not the SAARC Agriculture Centre. Step 7: Select Dhaka as the correct answer.
Verification / Alternative check:
As a quick verification method, you can recall other SAARC centres and their locations. For example, the SAARC Secretariat is in Kathmandu, while SAARC Agriculture Centre is regularly mentioned in connection with Dhaka, Bangladesh. This division of responsibilities and host countries helps you confirm that Dhaka is the correct city.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Islamabad: Although Pakistan is a SAARC member, Islamabad is not the host city for the SAARC Agriculture Centre.
Colombo: Colombo hosts its own regional institutions but not this particular centre.
Kathmandu: Kathmandu is where the SAARC Secretariat is located, not the agriculture related centre.

Common Pitfalls:
A frequent mistake is to confuse the various SAARC institutions and assume that they are all based in Kathmandu, because the main Secretariat is located there. Another pitfall is choosing the capital of a large member state such as India or Pakistan without specific evidence. To avoid these errors, remember that SAARC has distributed its specialized centres across different member countries, with agriculture assigned to Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Final Answer:
SAARC Agriculture Centre is based in the city of Dhaka.