
Over 133 lakh students take China's Gaokao, 10x more than India's biggest exams
China came to a halt this Saturday as 13.35 million (133.5 lakh) students sat for the Gaokao 2025 – the national college entrance exam that can make or break careers. Held across thousands of centres, this year's number was slightly lower than 2024, when 13.42 million students took the test.Known for being one of the toughest university entrance exams in the world, Gaokao decides who gets into China's top colleges. The pressure? Immense. Outside each centre, crowds of anxious parents waited with snacks, drinks, and even flowers, hoping to cheer their kids on.What's interesting is that the number of students that appear for this exam in China is much higher than the number that appeared for the last CBSE Class 12 board exams (16.92 lakhs) or the last JEE Mains (12.58 lakhs) session. The number of participants is more than 10 times than those appearing for the biggest exams in India!SECURITY, AI CAMERAS AND FREE RIDES FOR STUDENTSGaokao day in China is no ordinary day. Cities brought in temporary traffic rules to keep roads around exam halls clear. Many students even got free transport help to reach their centres on time.Inside, some centres used AI-powered cameras to catch anything unusual -- an extra step to avoid cheating and maintain fairness. Police used drones and other high-tech tools to watch over the process.Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang visited a school in Taiyuan and called for extra safety and fairness during the exam.GAOKAO STILL SEEN AS A DOOR TO A BETTER FUTUREEver since it was brought back in 1977, Gaokao has helped millions move ahead in life. As per Xinhua, 'Gaokao, the unified exam, has transformed millions of lives through merit-based selection.'According to China's education ministry, over 47 million students were enrolled in colleges and universities by 2023. While the gross enrolment rate in higher education has crossed 60%, fresh graduates face tough job prospects due to a slowing economy -- about 12 million students enter the workforce every year.(With PTI inputs)
advertisement

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
15 minutes ago
- Time of India
Apple WWDC 2025: After Microsoft, Tim Cook-led tech giant's annual software event interrupted by protest; Watch video
Days after Microsoft, Apple saw interruption during its annual software developer conference on Monday by a protester who marched in and unzipped his jacket to reveal a keffiyeh. The protester spoke for about 30 seconds before security walked him out, reported The Verge. The incident comes after a former Microsoft employee ignited controversy during the company's 50th anniversary celebration, confronting top executives including CEO Satya Nadella and former heads Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer. The employee, Vaniya Agrawal, an Indian-American software engineer, accused the tech giant of aiding violence in Gaza through its technologies.'Fifty thousand Palestinians in Gaza have been murdered with Microsoft technology. How dare you. Shame on all of you for celebrating on their blood,' she declared before being escorted out of the event. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Dubai villas | search ads Get Deals Undo Watch video here: Agrawal, who has since resigned from the company, described Microsoft as a 'digital weapons manufacturer' and condemned its alleged collaboration with the Israeli military. In a pointed critique, she called on Microsoft to end its ties with Israel, highlighting what she claimed was a $133 million agreement with Israel's Ministry of Defense involving AI and Azure tools. Live Events


News18
15 minutes ago
- News18
Political Row Erupts After Man Linked To 2024 Bangladesh Protests Found On Bengal Voter List
Last Updated: The man, identified as Newton Das, reportedly took part in the 2024 protests in Bangladesh that triggered a regime change. He was found on the voter list in West Bengal's Kakdwip. A fresh political storm erupted in West Bengal after a person allegedly involved in last year's student-led protests in Bangladesh that resulted in the ouster of then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina turned out to be a voter from the state's Kakdwip area. The man, identified as Newton Das, appeared in several images circulating on social media showing him taking part in the 2024 protests in Bangladesh, which triggered a regime change. The protests were triggered by a controversial quota system for government jobs. However, Newton insisted that he was an Indian citizen and showed documents, including a PAN card and Aadhaar card, to support his claim. However, he did not clarify on whether he lived in India or Bangladesh. 'Unexpectedly Got Caught Up' 'I had travelled to Bangladesh in 2024 for some issues related to our ancestral property, but I unexpectedly got caught up in the revolution there. I have been a voter in Kakdwip since 2014," he was quoted by news agency PTI as saying in a video message. 'Although I lost my voter card in 2017, I managed to get a new one the following year with help from the local MLA, Manturam Pakhira. I also cast my vote during the 2016 West Bengal Assembly elections." However, Newton's cousin Tapan offered a contradictory account, saying Newton was born in Bangladesh and exercises voting rights in both countries. 'Niutan was born in Bangladesh and holds voting rights in both countries. He came to India after the pandemic to sell some ancestral land and has stayed here since. He should be held responsible for registering as a voter in both places, that's clearly not right," Tapan told reporters. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seized on the controversy, accusing the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) of encouraging illegal immigration to manipulate electoral outcomes. 'This is the TMC blueprint — flood Bengal's voter rolls with illegal infiltrators and secure elections with ghost votes," the West Bengal BJP said on X. Union Minister and BJP leader Sukanta Majumdar said, 'Another shining example of the so-called 'Egiye Bangla Model"! The same Newton who was seen wielding a stick during Bangladesh's quota reform movement is now a registered voter in Kakdwip, West Bengal!" 'Thousands of Bangladeshi 'Newtons" voting in Bengal—courtesy of Mamata Banerjee's infiltration theory and appeasement politics. With illegal voters and these lathi-wielders miscreants as her support base, she's not running West Bengal… she's scripting a blueprint for Greater Bangladesh," he added. Another shining example of the so-called 'Egiye Bangla Model"!The same Newton who was seen wielding a stick during Bangladesh's quota reform movement is now a registered voter in Kakdwip, West Bengal! Thanks to the special encouragement of the failed Chief Minister… — Dr. Sukanta Majumdar (@DrSukantaBJP) June 7, 2025 His statements were echoed by the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, who said there are lakhs of Bangladeshi nationals who are included in the voter rolls of West Bengal. BJP Mathurapur organisational district secretary Sanjay Das alleged that 'the Trinamool Congress is actively helping Bangladeshi infiltrators to enter India. In response, the TMC rejected the allegations, shifting the blame to the Centre and the Border Security Force (BSF), which guards the Indo-Bangladesh border. 'Our state government will do its part, but it's up to the Union government to ensure security," TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said. Debashis Das, TMC's Sundarbans organisational district student wing president, was seen cutting cake with Das in a viral birthday party photo. " had no idea he was involved in the Bangladesh protests. The photo going around was taken at a birthday celebration with many people present. If someone like him managed to cross the border, it just shows the BSF isn't doing its job properly," he clarified. Get Latest Updates on Movies, Breaking News On India, World, Live Cricket Scores, And Stock Market Updates. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : bangladesh protests bjp vs tmc West Bengal Location : Kolkata, India, India First Published: June 09, 2025, 23:04 IST News politics Political Row Erupts After Man Linked To 2024 Bangladesh Protests Found On Bengal Voter List


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
‘Turnaround story next year': Pakistan's debt increases to PRs 76,000 billion; its FM claims economy on path to recovery
Pakistan FM said that GDP growth increased from -0.2pc in 2023 to 2.5pc in 2024. (AI image) Pakistan's total debt has risen to PRs 76,000 billion during the initial nine months of the present fiscal year, as revealed in its economic survey. The report indicates that the financially constrained nation is expected to achieve a growth rate of 2.7 per cent this year. During the Economic Survey 2024-25 release on Monday, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb stated that the Pakistani economy has shown signs of recovery over the past two years, with further stabilisation and strengthening observed in the current fiscal year. The survey, an essential pre-budget publication, outlines the government's economic achievements for fiscal year 2024-25. The country's financial calendar commences on July 1. According to the document released prior to the budget presentation, the government's debt in the first nine months of the current fiscal year reached PRs 76,000 billion, comprising PRs 51,500 billion from domestic banks and PRs 24,500 billion from external borrowing. During a press briefing following the economic survey launch, Aurangzeb said that GDP growth increased from -0.2pc in 2023 to 2.5pc in 2024, according to a PTI report. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Device Made My Power Bill Drop Overnight elecTrick - Save upto 80% on Power Bill Pre-Order Undo Also Read | Economy in dire straits, India's Indus Waters Treaty blow: Can Pakistan avoid the 'begging bowl'? "This year, we announced a 2.7pc growth for 2025. This is a gradual recovery and the right way to go about it is to focus on sustainable growth," he said. He contextualised Pakistan's recovery against global economic performance, noting that worldwide GDP growth was 2.8 per cent. " The next fiscal year will be a turnaround story," he claimed, indicating a budget that may aim to comply with IMF requirements. Discussing economic indicators, Aurangzeb noted that the current account showed a surplus of $1.9 billion in July-April FY25, supported by IT exports of approximately $3.5 billion. "Remittances are projected to reach $37-38 billion by year-end, up from $27 billion two years ago," he said. Addressing macroeconomic metrics, the minister reported, "public debt and debt-to-GDP ratio was 68 per cent, which is now 65 per cent." The forex reserves reached $9.4 billion as of June 30, 2024, marking an improvement from 2023's position when Pakistan had only two weeks of import coverage. The foreign exchange reserves increased to $16.64 billion in 2025. The State Bank of Pakistan maintained $11.5 billion, whilst commercial banks held $5.14 billion. Also Read | 270 million pulled out of poverty! How Modi government achieved a remarkable dip in extreme poverty & what's the road ahead? Explained Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now