Background: The education sector is badly shaken in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic as nationwide closures have impacted 89% of the world’s student population. Aims and Methodology: This qualitative, exploratory study investigated the impacts of COVID-19 on the prevailing education divide through focus group discussion. Focus group included purposefully selected two teachers (one male & one female), two senior headteachers (one male & one female), two Taluka Education Officers (one male & one female), two Assistant District Education Officers (One male & one female) and two Assistant professors of Education (one male one female). The focus group interviews were conducted from the participants through conference calls. Results: Focus group discussion results showed that there could be variable impacts of COVID-19 across society, parents, input that students could receive from families during this pandemic, assessment, gender, and schools. These variable impacts could result in further widening of the existing education divide in Pakistan. The major reasons, as highlighted by the participants, are the weak education system and the prevalent digital divide in Pakistan due to the use of online learning resources. It is recommended that the authorities should engage economically sound local elders, Non-Government Organizations and volunteer educated persons to meet the technology-based needs.

Pakistan, in the last 10 years, has witnessed a fast and deep penetration of computers, internet, and android cell phones in the everyday lives of the teachers. The education process has yet to enjoy the full benefits of this technology despite the implementation of 3g/4g technologies and a surge of android cell phones. Therefore, teachers being an integral and vital part of the education process need to be well aware of the importance and should be trained at incorporating ICT in their daily teaching processes. This survey-based descriptive study gauged the familiarity of High School Teachers with ICT and its level of incorporation in the teaching process at the secondary level. The population of this study was 617 (N=617) High School Teachers belonging to 61 secondary schools of the district. About 245 teachers who participated in this study were randomly selected from 24 secondary schools. A self-developed questionnaire was distributed to these teachers. All the questionnaires were filled and returned. About 8 of these questionnaires were incomplete and therefore were deemed unusable. Therefore, only 237 questionnaires were used for data analysis. The findings of this study indicated that only 15% of the participants knew about ICT and its uses in the teaching process. Internet browsing, e-mailing and operating a CD Rom device as well-known aspects and simulations, problem-solving software, and graphics were some of the ICT aspects which the participants appeared to be familiar with. Findings about the level of incorporation in the teaching process revealed that computer labs were available in about 15% of the schools; about 55% of the participants owned android cell phones; 45% had self-access to the internet and these android phones were mostly used for communication with other teachers and parents. About 2% used ICT for teaching specific subjects; out of the 2% that used ICT for teaching, only 0.5 % used it as an essential part of daily instruction. The results also show that 0.25% of participants were formally trained in ICT. ICT was mostly used for finding and accessing and downloading educational materials. Less frequently used of ICT included making lectures, drills, and practice, preparing lesson plans, and video lecturing.

Introduction: Diclofenac potassium has widely been utilized as an analgesic and anti-inflammatory agent. To achieve rapid onset of action with prolonged therapeutic action is an immense need of time. In present project a study was conducted on preparation with physicochemical determination of diclofenac potassium tablets, this unique tablet have duel characteristics like rapid onset of action due to orodispersible coat and extended release of API due to sustained release core. Methodology: As diclofenac potassium is not sensitive to water so wet granulation method was efficiently employed to prepare the granules of sustained release core, while direct compression was done to prepare orodispersible outer coat layer in order to give rapid release. Results and Discussion: In evaluations granules characteristics and tablet properties were studied.  Result of both pre compression and post compression studies were coming in pharmacopeia acceptable ranges. The orodispersible layer disintegrated with in 18sec, which  gives sufficient amount of API as loading dose, in order to maintain the plasma drug concentration in therapeutic range the core will release drug in sustained manner within 10 hours in gastrointestinal tract (GIT) fluid (pH 6.8). The results of kinetic models were complying with Higuchi model. Conclusion: In present work, a rapid release outer dispersible layer of drug was constructed on a sustained release core. Results of study gives expected outcomes to maintained initial concentration of drug which persist for long time. The combination of sodium starch glycolate, dry starch, and cross povidone exhibited promising super disintegrant efficiency while Hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose K15 showed excellent sustained release properties.