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 At the time of the Coronation of King George V, His Royal Highness had urged for the taking of immediate steps to overcome mass illiteracy in India and also to reform and extend secondary and higher education. "My Lord, has not the time come for the commencement of some system of universal primary education, such as has been adopted by almost every responsible government? The extreme poverty of this country has recently been much discussed both here and in England, and all sorts of causes have been found and given to explain this undoubted fact. But My Lord, in my humble opinion, the fundamental cause of this extreme poverty is the ignorance of the great majority of the people. Has not the time come for taking a bold and generous step towards some system of universal education suited to the conditions of the various provinces of the country?"