Q. Consider the following statements in respect of BIMSTEC :

Explanation : 

Statement I: It is a regional organization consisting of seven member States till January 2025.

This statement is correct. BIMSTEC comprises seven member states: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. This number has remained consistent through January 2025 and beyond.

Statement II: It came into existence with the signing of the Dhaka Declaration, 1999.

This statement is incorrect. BIMSTEC, initially known as BIST-EC, was established on June 6, 1997, with the signing of the Bangkok Declaration. The Dhaka Declaration was adopted later, in 1998, during the first ministerial meeting, but it was not the foundational document.

Statement III: Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Nepal are founding member States of BIMSTEC.

This statement is incorrect. The founding members of BIMSTEC (originally BIST-EC) were Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Myanmar joined in December 1997, and Nepal and Bhutan became full members in 2004. Therefore, Nepal was not a founding member.

Statement IV: In BIMSTEC, the subsector of ‘tourism’ is being led by India.

This statement is incorrect. While India previously led the tourism sector, recent reorganizations of BIMSTEC’s priority sectors have assigned the lead role for ‘People-to-People Contact’, which includes ‘Tourism’ as a sub-sector, to Nepal. India is currently the lead country for the ‘Security’ sector, which encompasses Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime, Disaster Management, and Energy.