By Vasundhra B    What is the Gaokao exam and what are the recent changes in the exam?  In 1952, China introduced its national university entrance exam known as Gaokao, which is one of the important standardized tests for university admission. This is a nine-hour long exam that usually goes on for two to three days covering different subjects such as literature, mathematics and a foreign language among others. In different provinces, the structure of the exam may differ although what is important here is that it is likely that an individual’s score can determine which university he or she will be placed into or even his/her future career. However, despite being merit-based in this densely populated country, gaokao has received criticism because it puts too much pressure on students’ mental health besides turning education into mere preparation for exams only. Among other reform initiatives are experimental programs that allow multiple retakes of subject papers as well as incorporating high school records into admissions. Nonetheless, parents still make considerable sacrifices in order to enable their children to prepare adequately for these tests because gaokao remains deeply entrenched within Chinese culture. There has also been a booming business around examination materials and tutoring institutions resulting from its pervasive effect; thus Gaokao serves crucial functions concerning educational access and socioeconomic mobility within modern-day china.   The new reforms to the Gaokao examination are substantial changes that were launched in Zhejiang and Shanghai in 2014, which will be applied across the nation by 2022. Among these changes is removing strict boundaries between science and arts, giving students an opportunity to select three optional subjects together with basic subjects, permitting multiple testing opportunities for certain subjects, and introducing a new system of grading incorporating raw marks and “ grade points” for electives. The aim of these reforms is to lessen the pressure and make them correspond more to students’ preferences and branches of study they take at university.   Gaokao exam’s Impact on Chinese Society The Gaokao exam has a high impact on Chinese society which greatly determines how one enhances their social status, finds employment or goes to school. With China’s fast modernization, its importance has increased, causing more and more strain on students, teachers and their parents. Once again, this exam emphasizes memorization to such an extent that there have been arguments as to whether it has an impact on imagination and originality. The Gaokao is a major force in shaping modern youth culture, regional disparities and class structure which stem from the ages-old imperial examination system. It serves to illustrate the relationship between heritage, meritocracy and social progress in contemporary China although there has been criticism against it as well as attempts at reforms. India’s Entrance Exams and Gaokao – a comparative study  There are big variances in approaches to university acceptance between India’s entry exam framework and that of China as evinced by noteworthy differences in both. For example, India’s policy is built around various distinct tests that are discipline-specific or university based such as NEET for medicine, JEE for engineering, CUET for central universities, CLAT for law and individual university entrance tests like DUET. This form of decentralisation allows much room for institutional independence alongside promoting various styles of teaching yet leads to disparities regarding the quality of education as well as putting more pressure on students to do well in many exams. On the other hand, China’s Gaokao happens to be a standardised nationwide exam which accounts most postsecondary enrolments therefore being simpler but sometimes curtails schools’ capacity to offer specialised courses and individuals’ ability or desire to go deeper into anything they are interested in. Whereas multiple tests under the Indian system may favour those who concentrate on particular areas or seek extra coaching sessions, broadness of the Gaokao depicts essentially what China realises as an all-round education. Both timing and frequency are not the same. Most Indian entrance tests take place annually while some admit candidates multiple times, Gaokao on the other hand occurs within a year giving students limited chances of retaking it again. The stakes as regards these examinations differ with Gaokao being the only determinant factor for university placements in China while JEE and NEET stand at the same level with respect to particular fields of study among others in India. The scale of such examinations is different too with Gaokao being such a huge nation-wide event that temporarily disrupts China’s social order while Indian entrance exams happen over a long time period and across states. Nevertheless, these two systems are similar in that they have cultural relevance as well as social dynamics that make exam performance capable of determining students’ lifetime paths causing stress to many families. Some critics from both sides say that this kind of system could lead to a focus on rote memorization at the expense of imagination and critical thinking thus prompting arguments about their integrity and efficiency in choosing the most suitable candidates for advanced education.    In conclusion, differences and similarities exist between two education systems that exhibit certain complexities due to political decisions made domestically regarding education, local cultural beliefs about learning, global ideologies on educational justice and human capital formation and lastly, social pressures related to gender roles.   What India Can Learn from the Gaokao    In order to enhance its own entrance to higher education, India can learn several lessons from the Chinese Gaokao system. For example, it is likely that combining all the entrance examinations would significantly reduce student strain and logistics. Currently, an Indian student has to go through the complicated maze of exams such as JEE, NEET, CLAT among many smaller tests set by different universities which is draining them emotionally as well as in terms of time. Therefore, a centralised method like that of Gaokao could help in offering a more equal and fairer procedure for higher education admission worldwide. Furthermore, India may also look at entrance assessments with greater diversity of themes like that found in

By Vasundhra B Introduction: China’s Plan for More Athletes  Chinese athletes have made remarkable achievements in the Olympics, improving their competitive edge over time after returning to compete from 1984 onward. Because of this, there are several reasons why China can generate more sportsmen; therefore, the factors contributing to this trend will be discussed in this paper. Initially, China’s sport growth was rooted upon international standing and national pride. Subsequently, purposefully targeted programs were launched by government officials aimed at nurturing athletic talents at all levels across the country. To say the least, one of the major reasons for China’s successful sports is government support for sport development as can be seen from its Five-Year Plans. The most interesting aspect of this plan is that it focuses on both winning and social welfare in general within the period of 2021 to 2025. Apart from that, it has also promised finances totaling 23.3 billion yuan (around 3.2 billion dollars) towards renovating or building 2,000 exercise centres by 2025 which represent up to 38.5 percent of its overall budget. Primary events for instance the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and Summer Universiade in Shanghai show how funds have been distributed among amateur and professional sports throughout the country. The comprehensive strategy therefore helps for China to be considered as a leading global power in sports while promoting health through physical exercise programs within an approximated number of 600,000 rural localities distributed throughout its territory. Here’s a table showing China’s Olympic performance over the last 10 years:  YEAR  TOTAL PARTICIPANTS  GOLD  SILVER BRONZE 2012 396 38 31 22 2016 412 51 21 18 2020 406 38 32 18 2024 388 40 27 24 Finding Young Sports Talents in China The method used by China to identify young athletes is both thorough and systematic. Initially, the country has a plethora of sports institutions and specialised academies that are aimed at spotting and nurturing young athletes (Tan & Green, 2008). In addition, such institutions apply scientific approaches and standardised tests in evaluating physical characteristics, skills, and potential in different kinds of sports. Furthermore, in China, talent identification sometimes begins as early as kindergarten when physical education instructors are trained to recognize young promising sportsmen (Hong, 2004). Besides, the government has implemented initiatives like “Million Students Searching for Sports Talents” which aim to screen out many children with regards to athletic abilities (Wei et al., 2011). Therefore with time when these talents are recognized they are usually removed from their families to state-run training centres for intensive training. Additionally, it employs a pyramidal structure whereby it starts off with many young people who want to be athletes but end up only with outstanding individuals after a process of exhaustive selection (Houlihan & Green, 2008). There has been a shift in recent reforms towards combining sporting training with educational pursuits in view of earlier criticisms aimed at the system (Li et al., 2014). Consequently, promising young sportsmen and women can advance to state or national squads where they would acquire more specific training and resources. Finally, although this system has generated many Olympians, it has also attracted condemnation because of its severity and stress on children (Hong, 2004). Balancing Schoolwork and Sports The comprehensive approach of China towards sports development has been focused on harmonising academic pursuit with sports training. It has been suggested that incorporating sports into school systems can be useful because regular exercise can lead to better cognitive outcomes and improved academic performance (Zhang et al., 2023; Zheng et al., 2023). However, there have been criticisms against specialised training programs in these institutions for placing excessive demands on young athletes (Hong, 2004). To address this concern, recent reforms have aimed at striking a balance between sport development and education (Li et al., 2014). In the opinion of the Chinese government concerning sports public health, an essential aspect is education for athletes who perform well in class and (Dai & Menhas, 2020; Zhengtian & Shuting, 2024). Results and Future of China’s School Sports Program Today, given China’s aim of integrating sports into education, there has been a rise in significance accorded to sports. This has led to an amalgamation of both physiological enhancement and academic attainment which looks promising for the coming years. Some of these include “Sunshine Sports Programme”, “Specialised Football Programme” and “Campus Basketball Promotion Scheme .” Consequently, these programs have contributed to a more vibrant sporting culture within Chinese communities thereby increasing their physical fitness levels as well as cognitive functioning abilities (Zhang et al., 2023; Zheng et al., 2023). Another example is contests such as ‘National Youth Campus Games ’ or “Sports & Arts ‘2+1’ Project,” which pursue the ethos of holistic education that seeks to enhance global competitiveness in sports (Dai & Menhas, 2020; Zhengtian & Shuting, 2024). There are positive reasons for hope regarding school sport because stadiums indicate much investment in sports infrastructure, though it remains a challenge maintaining a balance between athlete training and academics. Nevertheless, much still needs to be done concerning high-training stressed syndrome which many young athletes suffer from (Hong, 2004; Li et al., 2014). Nonetheless, China’s strong commitment to creating a new generation of multi-sport athletes along with her inventive approaches render it the global champion in blending education with athletics.  To sum up, Chinese policies are intended to bring sports programs back in line with education in an attempt to achieve both sporting triumph and academic success. Comprehensive measures by the Chinese Government such as “Sunshine Sports Program” and dedicated schools for athletes have resulted in improved physical fitness levels and higher intellectual faculties among students. However, there have always been concerns over huge pressures on young athletes which recent reforms have tried addressing. Regardless, China still aims at raising rounded individuals through novel approaches that put it at the forefront of global endeavours for blending sports within educational systems. References  Zhengtian, C., & Shuting, L. (2024). Reform and Optimization of Physical Education Teaching in Guangxi Private Universities During the 14th Five-year