Modern scientific and technological changes have enabled online education as an integral part of the education system in the contemporary world. Although online learning system was influential in the pre-Covid 19 periods to a certain extent, it has become an inevitable part of the teaching and learning process of higher education sectors during the Covid-19 era. As the Covid-19 posed enormous challenges on the traditional higher education system, there was a desperate need globally for every government to incorporate online education into their higher education system. However, online education was not given much importance in the Sri Lankan higher education sector before the Covid-19. But, the closure of universities due to Covid-19 had prompted the government of Sri Lanka to promote the online mode of education as an alternative solution to continue higher education activity during a crisis. Thus, online education has presently become an essential component of Sri Lanka's higher education sector. Nevertheless, there are many obstacles and challenges confronting the higher education sectors, particularly in the universities of Sri Lanka to perpetuate online education successfully. Against this backdrop, this study attempts to give an insight into the impact of Covid-19 on the teaching and learning process of South Eastern University of Sri Lanka, and the challenges faced by the university in perpetuating online education system during the Covid-19. The findings of the study show that the university encountered several challenges in terms of online delivery, problems related to practical test via online mode, assessment, examination and supervision of the thesis. The study further highlights issues concerning online teaching and learning environment and a lack of online teaching and learning skills among staff and students that were considered critical to the smooth functioning of teaching and learning process of the South Eastern University of Sri Lanka during the Covid-19 pandemic. The study argues that the university should focus on a hybrid education system to address the issues of online mode of education confronted by staff and students to make the teaching and learning process more effective.

Regional and international mediation by third parties in Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict have had diverse impacts on the country’s political scene at various times. India spearheaded a significant regional mediation following the July 1983 pogrom against minority Tamils. An international mediation effort by a third party was initiated in 2000, with Norway playing the role of facilitator. Both of these attempts to resolve Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict, which were taken to bring an end to the intense and continued violence, have had mixed outcomes. In particular, Norway’s initiative to bring an end to the conflict with international facilitation was taken in the backdrop of the changed world order that prevailed after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. It is against this backdrop; this article attempts to examine the contributions made by Norway towards the resolution of Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict. The major finding shows that Norwegian initiative fell into fail after a period and the armed insurgency did not come to an end until 2009. In May 2009, the government forces defeated the LTTE militarily and declared the war victory.

This paper aims to examine the historical background of Pakistan’s nuclear strategic doctrines in the context of nuclear deterrence policy of Pakistan. After years of research, Pakistan proudly set off an atomic bomb in 1998 and became the first Muslim nation to join the nuclear community. Primarily, the reason of nuclear deterrence of Pakistan will be propound as part of their historical conflicts with India and Indian threat was the major motive for Pakistan unveiling its nuclear card. The explosion caused tensions around the world and further strained diplomatic relations between Pakistan and its main rival India, which had detonated its own atomic device in 1974. The original Pakistani effort to build the atomic bomb began in the 1950s and reached a fever pitch during the Jimmy Carter administration when Pakistan made a deal with France for a reprocessing plant that could create fissionable plutonium. The other part would emphasize the key part of the nuclear programme of Pakistan. In such context, this paper is an attempt to touch various issues regarding development of nuclear power in Pakistan, while highlighting the role of external powers which would contribute to the transitory nature of their dynamic relations to develop nuclear power in Pakistan. The data were collected mainly from   secondary sources. The research concludes that the Pakistan may have no choice but to gain nuclear capability, to ensure its survival , and has developed its own nuclear weapons in order to strengthen its bargaining position vis-à-vis India and reduce its dependence on external sources.

Sri Lanka saw an unprecedented degree of anti-Muslim sentiment followed by violence perpetrated by certain extremist elements in recent years. This article primarily examines the implications of anti-Muslim violence that occurred from Aluthgama to Digana and the causes behind the violence. The article shows that anti-Muslim sentiment is manifested in several dimensions: campaigns against Halal, Muslim attire, cattle slaughter, and attacks on mosques and Muslim-owned businesses. This manifestation has resulted in violence against Muslims, causing massive damages to their properties. The study argues that fear of growing Muslim population, economic competition with Muslims, Mahavamsa mentality, and exceptionalism to Buddhist clergies, fear of Islam, and formation of ethnic-based political parties are the causes of anti-Muslim sentiment which later culminated in the form of violence. Therefore, the government needs to enforce law and order equally on all citizens and ensure a policy of multiculturalism and tolerance is strictly maintained.

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