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CONTENTS CHAPTER-V SAARC REGIONAL CENTRES
SAARC REGIONAL CENTRES 1. SAARC Agricultural Information Centre (SAIC) SAIC, the first regional institution, was established in Dhaka in 1988. Its Governing Board formulates policy matters, approves projects, recommends budget estimates, monitors and evaluates administrative and overall activities of SAIC. The SAIC Director is the Member-Secretary of the Board. SAIC serves as a central information institution having a network with relevant national information centres in each member state with a view to rapidly exchange regionally generated technical information and thereby strengthen agricultural research and development activities. SAIC has brought out several publications which contain information on various agricultural institutions in SAARC countries and current contents services on various subjects like fisheries, forestry, livestock, potato, rice etc. SAIC also publishes a quarterly newsletter. Some of the completed programmes are : Directory of Agricultural Institutions in SAARC Countries; Directory of Agricultural Scientists and Technologists of SAARC countries; Database on Fish Diseases in the SAARC Region; Database on Potato; Directory of Agricultural Periodicals of the SAARC Countries; Bibliography of Women in Agriculture in the SAARC Countries; Bibliography of Agro-forestry in the SAARC Region. The on-going and future programmes of SAIC include: Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI); Preparation and Distribution of Selective Bibliographies; Acquisition of Books, Journals, Annual Reports etc. produced in the SAARC Countries; Directory of on- going Research Projects in SAARC member states; SAARC Agricultural Fact Book; Improved Farm Implements Currently used in the SAARC Countries; Procurement and Processing of Non-conventional Agricultural Information Materials; Abstracting and Indexing of Articles of Journals/ Newspapers and other Periodicals. 2. SAARC Tuberculosis Centre (STC) Located at Thimi, Bhaktapur (Nepal), STC became operational in mid-July 1992. The Centre s main objective is to work towards the prevention and control of tuberculosis in the SAARC region through better coordination of efforts of the member states, especially their tuberculosis control programs. Institutional structure of the Centre consists of a Governing Board. A Director appointed to head the Centre is responsible for the implementation of the programmes and activities of the Centre. He is also the ex-officio Member-Secretary of the Board. Since its inception, STC has undertaken a number of initiatives for the prevention and control of tuberculosis in the region. It has undertaken a number of important training programs for the medical practitioners in the relevant areas and also organised several seminars. Some of its notable activities included seminars on surgical aspects of tuberculosis, socio-cultural aspects of tuberculosis, tuberculosis control programme through primary health care approach etc. The Centre has also organised a number of trainers training programs for tuberculosis in the region. Its other useful initiatives resulted in the compilation and printing of a SAARC list of TB hospitals, TB training institutes in the region, compilation of a similar list on TB and chest specialists in South Asia. The Centre is actively engaged in collation and distribution of information on national tuberculosis control programs in SAARC countries, networking arrangements among member countries on tuberculosis related subjects as well as circulation of information on research activities in the region on tuberculosis. 3. SAARC Documentation Center (SDC) SDC has been established at the Indian National Scientific Documentation Center (INSDOC) in New Delhi in May 1994. The SDC Director is responsible for the implementation of the programmes/ activities of the Center and is also the Member Secretary of the SDC Governing Board which comprises a representative from each member state. The SAARC Documentation System (SDS) comprises the central facility i.e. SDC and its sub-units in member states which would act as the Center's repositories, the SAARC Secretariat and SAARC Regional Institutions. In fulfilling the need for ready access to information, SDC will focus on documents generated in member states, those generated elsewhere in the SAARC region and access to international data bases in the areas of biological, physical, chemical, engineering, and life sciences as well as in developmental matters. 4. SAARC Meteorological Research Centre (SMRC) The SMRC, established in Dhaka, was inaugurated on 2 January 1995. The Centre concentrates primarily on the research aspects of weather forecasting and monitoring rather than the operational aspects of the medium and long-range forecasting. The responsibilities of the Centre would include undertaking research relevant to weather prediction and compiling climatological information. In addition to monitoring special weather phenomena, developing a networking system among the member states would also receive priority in its work. SMRC has a Governing Board, comprising a representative from each member state. Some of the important activities being undertaken by SMRC are collecting from national meteorological services of member states the available lists of up-to-date climatological information for compilation; compiling a Directory of Meteorological Professionals and Technicians available in the National Meteorological Services of member states; publishing newsletters regarding activities and programmes of the Centre; and collecting required meteorological data from sources outside the region for its research programmes and to disseminate it to member states. 5. SAARC Human Resource Development Centre (SHRDC) SAARC Human Resources Development Centre (SHRDC) is being set up in Islamabad. The Director of the Centre has already been appointed and Member States have been invited to make nominations to the Governing Board which will draw up the Terms of Reference and Work Programme of the SHRDC. The Centre aims at developing human resources in Member States, inter-alia, in social, economic, educational and environmental fields. The Centre will have a Governing Board comprising Members from all SAARC countries. |
