SAARC Training Course on Combating Child Trafficking

SAARC Human Resource Development Centre (SHRDC), Islamabad, Pakistan is organizing a 6-day training programme on "Combating Child Trafficking: Unravelling the Push and Pull Factors in the SAARC Region" (18 – 23, July 2011).
SAARC Human Resource Development Centre (SHRDC) is a regional centre of SAARC. The objective of SHRDC is to undertake research, impart trainings and workshops, disseminate information on HRD issues and advise the Member States on HRD related policies and strategies.
The training program on “Combating Child Trafficking: Unravelling the Push and Pull Factors in the SAARC Region”, organized by the SAARC Human Resource Development Centre (SHRDC), Islamabad will look into greater and better-targeted tools to combat the child trafficking, strong policy commitments; exploitations of synergies between socioeconomic issues and human development; learning from the experiences of high achievers; rearrangements of available resources and regulations for combating the issue in the Member States.
(for more, click here .............)

SGIB Orientation Programme

An SGIB (SAARC Gender Infobase)orientation programme was organized at SAARC Documentation Centre, New Delhi on 8th July 2011. The programmed was chaired by SAARC Director (Maldives) Mr. Ibrahim Zhuree, Mrs. Pratima Gupta (Ministry of WCD, GOI), Ms. Sapna Joshi (Homenet South Asia), Ms. Renu Golani (Homenet South Asia), Mr. Hemant Kumar, Mr. Vibhor Swaroop, Mr. S. R. Nimesh (all from Rashtriya Mahila Kosh), Ms. Sangeeta Thapa (UN Women - Nepal), Dr. Rinchen Chophel (UN Women).
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Gender Infobase (SGIB) has been set up as a joint initiative of the SAARC member countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, in collaboration with UNWomen (older name - UNIFEM).

Fifth Conference of Association of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians 2011

The 5^th conference of the Association of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians will be held in New Delhi from July 9 to 12, the second time that the event is being held in India.
The Speakers of Parliaments of SAARC Countries first met in Sri Lanka in June 1992 and resolved to set up an Association of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians. They met in Kathmandu in November 1992. In the First South Asian Festival (held in India in October 1992 with participation from all Member Countries), a unique event which focused on the rich cultural heritage of South Asia, formally launched the "Association of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians" and adopted the Charter of the Association. The Speakers Council, which is the Apex Body of the Association, finalised and ratified the draft rules of the Association prepared by the Parliamentary Secretaries-General in January 1994. Since then they have met periodically and addressed issues of common interest to member countries. The Heads of State or Government at their Seventh Summit (Dhaka, April 1993) welcomed the initiative of the Speakers of Parliaments of SAARC Countries in forming the Association.
The Inaugural Ceremony of the Fifth Conference of the Association of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians will be held in the Central Hall of Parliament House on Saturday, the 9th July, 2011 at 1800 hours. Hon’ble Prime Minister (India), Dr. Manmohan Singh will inaugurate the Conference and deliver the Inaugural Address. Hon’ble Speaker, Lok Sabha will deliver the Welcome Address. H.E Chamal Rajapakse, Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka will deliver the vote of thanks speech in his capacity as the former President of Association of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians.
Lok Sabha (India) Speaker Meira Kumar constituted the Reception Committee for the Conference with K Rahman Khan, Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha, as its chairman and Kariya Munda, Deputy Speaker as the co-chairman. The committee comprises 38 members, including Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pawan Kumar Bansal; besides sitting and former members of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
Pakistan is set to unleash woman power at the Conference. The Pakistan contingent, led by National Assembly Speaker Fehmida Mirza, will include three women MPs, Tasneem Siddiqui, Shahnaz Ali and Kashmala Tariq. Mirza is the first woman Speaker in the Muslim world. Afghanistan is making a debut at the conference.
The Conference will deliberate upon two themes: "Consolidating Democracy: Strengthening Trust between Parliament and the People" and "Sustainable Development in SAARC Countries- The Way Forward". Earlier, the Conferences have been held in Delhi, Islamabad, Dhaka and Colombo.
(Lok Sabha Link .....)

Science Olympiad for SAARC Countries

The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), New Delhi, India in collaboration with the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), South Asia Office in New Delhi is organizing the Science Olympiad 2011 for the South Asian Countries. The purpose of the Science Olympiad is to search for and motivate the science talent in all SAARC countries. This will be conducted on a two-tier level, initially on the basis of an objective test with huge participation, followed by limited participation by the toppers of the first test. Hereafter, this Olympiad will be called as IGNOU-UNESCO SCIENCE OLYMPIAD 2011. (for Details, click..........)

SAARC and its Regional Centre

Like SAARC Documentation Centre (SDC), there are eleven regional centres of SAARC. The SAARC Secretariat is supported by these Regional Centres. The RCs are established in Member States to promote regional cooperation. These Centres are managed by Governing Boards comprising representatives from all the Member States, SAARC Secretary-General and the Ministry of Foreign/External Affairs of the Host Government. The Director of the Centre acts as Member Secretary to the Governing Board which reports to the Programming Committee.
At present, there are two RCs in Dhaka (Bangladesh), two in Delhi (India), two in Kathmandu (Nepal), two in Islamabad (Pakistan) and one each in Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka.
Following are the regional centre: -

• SAARC Agricultural Centre (SAC), Dhaka (www.saarcagri.net)
  
• SAARC Meteorological Research Centre (SMRC), Dhaka (www.saarc-smrc.org)
  
• SAARC Tuberculosis Centre (STC), Kathmandu (www.saarctb.org)
  
• SAARC Documentation Centre (SDC), New Delhi (www.sdc.gov.in )
  
• SAARC Human Resources Development Centre (SHRDC), Islamabad ( www.shrdc.org)
  
• SAARC Coastal Zone Management Centre (SCZMC), Maldives ( www.sczmc.org/)
  
• SAARC Information Centre (SIC), Nepal (www.saarc-sic.org/ )
  
• SAARC Energy Centre (SEC), Pakistan (saarcenergy.org )
  
• SAARC Disaster Management Centre (SDMC), India (saarc-sdmc.nic.in )
  
• SAARC Forestry Centre (SFC), Bhutan
  
• SAARC Cultural Centre (SCC), Sri Lanka ( www.saarcculture.org)
  

The details can be found at this web link - http://www.saarc-sec.org/Regional-Centers/12/

Welcome to SDC's Blog

www.sdc.gov.in

SAARC Documentation Centre, established in the year 1994, is one of the Regional Centre of SAARC . It acts as an effective information system for the SAARC member states that enables exchange of information in the areas of biological, physical, chemical, engineering and life sciences as well as in developmental matters. 

SAARC Documentation system comprises a central facilities i.e. SDC and its sub-units in all the member states i.e. National Focal Points, which act as the repositories of the centre.

SDC acts as a repository of documents/reports produced in the region and on the region in scientific, technical, economical, industry-related and developmental matters. Publications of the SDC include the Directory of Research and Industrial Institutions in the SAARC Region and Select Bibliography on Alternative Systems of Medicine in the SAARC Region.

Human resource development is an important activity of SDC. It conducts short term and attachment training programmes in information technology applications for library/documentation/information professionals in the Member States. The Centre also offers information services for research scholors in the Member States.