GHULAM HAIDER
IN the time of rising technology, every portion of society is catching its adaptive, salient features according to one’s needs and circumstances. Some are using mobile apps, some, search engines, websites, portals while the others are still searching for finding various new tools or devices of connectivity under its broad spectrum.
The significance of IT has been increased multifariously after outbreak of Coronavirus. As the global village is scattered into various compartments where only IT is providing the shared bond. Countries, specifically government machinery, has to be dependent on it for performing its day to day tasks and managing public affairs. As per the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, there has been a 15% increase in internet usage since the lockdown had been implemented on March 24. It said that this is the highest surge we have seen ever and ever. Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok and Netflix are the most popular social media apps that are being used this time and web-based applications are being applied for Covid-19.
Pakistan Government has set up a chatbot to address queries or apprehensions relating to the novel coronavirus COVID-19. The chatbot is programmed to answer several questions concerning to coronavirus, its symptoms like how to protect yourself, assess risking and also find testing labs near the users.
As Coronavirus infected and killed more people worldwide, many colleges, schools and universities across the country have cancelled in-person classes and switched to teaching their courses online to fight the Coronavirus. After the closure of schools and universities due to this pandemic, the latest technology and techniques being used by teachers like live classes with students, recorded lectures, online worksheets, voice messages, audible stories, daily assignments, daily tips and fun quizzes based on vocabulary.
Pakistan Government has started “TeleSchool” channel to promote education in the country. The channel has been launched to benefit students from class one to twelve. Punjab government has created a designated online portal ‘’ Aap ki Rai ‘’ for the parliamentarians to get their suggestions and schemes for the provincial budget 2020-21 in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic. It has now been considered that till the end of this pandemic, “COVID-19”, the entire world would be changed like changing IT of course.
—The writer is freelance columnist, based in Sargodha.