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The study was designed to determine onion productivity and its market structure in the Sindh province of Pakistan. Data, collected from 240 respondents through multistage purposive techniques. They earn a low income of about US$ 1.33 (without paying implicit costs), the lowest in Pakistan's agribusiness. It was also estimated that the onion growers and retailers incurred more profit as compared to the other intermediaries. A constrained market structure like poor infrastructure, transportation, and high commission charges decrease the profit of onion growers. Furthermore, this study presents significant evidence for agribusiness and policymakers to increase the production and marketing efficiency of the onion.

COVID-19 pandemic was one of the few incidents in the human history that have profound impact on the all sectors of human life. This pandemic has transformed education sector through re-orienting and re-shaping it. The post-pandemic paradigm shift has been swiftly altering all segments of life. The process of transition is rapid and impulsive in the field of higher education. This study had been designed to analyze the paradigm shift in higher education due to COVID-19 with a focus on the online dimension. This study was guided by two main objectives; to analyze the paradigm shift in higher education in pre and post COVID era and to find out challenges faced by people in the wake of new paradigm shift. This study employed Google Trends data on Comparison of five major teaching platforms; Coursera, EdX, Google Classroom, Google Meet and Zoom. Google Trends provides search analysis. It gives multifaceted comparisons of search volume over time. Research studies found Google Trends data both valid and reliable. We collected past twelve months Google Trends data on the selected five major teaching platforms. Data was analyzed through t-test. On the basis of findings of the study it can be safely concluded that COVID-19 pandemic has proved as a source of Paradigm Shift in the world. It has shifted higher education from on-campus to online mode. It has promoted the paradigm shift from real to virtual world including education; particularly it has resulted in more technology reliance in higher education.

In order to assess potential training capacity of research and extension agents to enhance expertise of orchard owners in apple value chain, the study was carried out during 2022-23 in Balochistan (Pakistan). The study used 39 respondents including researchers (n=13) and extension agents (n=26). The questionnaire was used as survey instrument consisted of questions and statements based on training needs of producers on apple orchard management and apple value chain related aspects to be imparted by research and extension agents. The main focus was the possessed level of competence of research and extension agents in imparting training and required level of competence over certain notes to assess training needs on the basis of 5-point Likert scale. The researchers and extension agents were also checked for their training in 19 task-points related to their skill for training of growers in apple orchard management, and the assessed training need of respondents was in the range of 0.51 and 2.05 Likert-scale score (avg. 1.356=27.12 % deficiency). Further, the researchers and extension agents were analysed for their competence as trainers of growers in 43 task-points related to value chain, and the assessed training need of respondents was in the range of 0.21 and 2.44 Likert-scale score (avg. 1.36=27.38 % deficiency). In nine-factors mainly constraining effective training of apple growers, the problems were ranked in the score range of 1.77 and 4.44 at Likert scale (Avg. 3.37) that was considered as an “important” factor constraining required level of orchard management to produce quality apple by the growers.

This study was conducted to analyze the hurdles that are impacting women's participation in economic development. Primary data were collected using a closed-ended questionnaire from the two districts of Sindh: Hyderabad and Tando Allahyar. Data were collected from 215 female respondents using purposive sampling. The findings of the study reveal that most of the women living in rural areas of Sindh are illiterate. They are being deprived of their basic rights to receive education and take part in decision-making. More than half of respondents revealed that their parents believed that their daughters does not need to get an education and work outside the home. In contrast, 20% stated that one of the main obstacles to literacy was the shortage of separate schools for girls. The respondents urged that they were fully engaged in household activities, while they were partially involved in farm-related activities (crop and livestock). Results show that the income of women working in the service sector was higher. Still, those who were engaged in small businesses (i.e., shops selling handicrafts) were higher than those who were working in agriculture. So based on the results, the study suggests separate schools should be established for girls near residential areas in rural Sindh, and equal educational opportunities and wages should be given to the women.

The paper highlights the association of centralized decision making by employer with recalcitrant behavior of employees in presence of a leader as a mediating variable in public or private universities of Lahore, Pakistan. The investigation tries to understand whether the centralized decision making by the employer is related to the satisfaction or recalcitrant behavior in employees of an organization due to the presence of a powerful employee leader. The constructs are studied through mixed methodology in a cross-sectional comparative setting by administering 250 online questionnaires and 30 interviews of the faculty. The results indicate that centralized decision making by employer with leader playing the mediating role and the related perceptions lead to recalcitrant behavior in the university faculty. This has significant insights for the employee protest, resistance, and unrest in the universities as well as organizational image, sustainability and productivity.

The stability of the financial system has been becoming increasingly important regarding institutional, structural and macroeconomic aspects on a national and worldwide scale. It is impossible to imagine a world without financial institutions particularly banks which take in funds, pool them and lend to other who need funds. As a result, it is thought to be essential to link a financial system's liquidity position to assess the stability and soundness of that sector. The primary purpose of this research is to examine the impact of bank-specific (internal) and macroeconomic (external) variables on the liquidity of commercial banks in Pakistan. The study has collected data for bank-specific variables from the financial audited reports of commercial banks, while data for macroeconomic factors is taken from Work Bank Indicators from 2014-2023. Empirical data supports that liquidity of commercial banks have been improved during the Covid-19 Period, however, the capital adequacy ratio, inflation and bank’s leverage have a negative significant influence on the commercial banks liquidity. The study also suggests that the dollar exchange rate has a direct positive influence on the liquidity of commercial banks. However, the bank’s size and government deficit financing have an insignificant impact on the liquidity. The study contributed that banks should adopt comprehensive risk management practices that account for both macroeconomic and bank-specific risks. In this regard, the implementation of stress testing and scenario analysis my help banks prepare for adverse economic conditions and mitigate liquidity risks.