Director: Prof. T. Nirmala Devi

          The Centre was established at Andhra University in 1987-88 with the financial support of the University Grants Commission and completed three phases. Now it is under the fourth phase. The Centre is mandated to undertake research studies in economic, social, political and historical aspects, relevant to South Asian cooperation both at national and regional levels.

The research activities of the Centre include

• in-house research,

• interdepartmental collaborative programmes and

• National and international networking.

          This Centre is the only Area Study Centre working on the SAARC countries - Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka - as a subject of study. The studies undertaken by the Centre cover socio-economic status, trade and investment patterns, gender equity and demographic profile of the South Asian region. The research output of the Centre includes eight books (including the two forthcoming ones), six monographs and nearly seventy-five research papers, besides a few reports and book reviews. The Centre is striving to establish one of the strong research bases for the SAARC studies in the country. The Centre is having its own library and documentation cell with a collection of over 1,050 books on different subjects and is subscribing half a dozen journals relating to South Asian studies.