I am grateful to-the Education Minister of Maharashtra State for having agreed to inaugurate this Conference and to welcome the guests. Looking to the number of persons who are present and who will be taking part in the deliberations of this National Seminar on Liquidation of Illiteracy which has been organised by the Planning Commission and the Maharashtra Government jointly for the purpose of focussing attention on the problems confronting the country on undertaking a Comprehensive Programme of Adult Education during the Fourth plan, It might be called a Conference. Some persons may wonder why we should have called this Seminar at a time like this when all our thoughts are occupied with the problems of Defense and other developmental problems associated with it. We thought over this but neverthless thought it fit to convene this Seminar because of our basic belief that Defence and Development are both closely related.