Basic education and literary were the areas which were not tackled. Consequently in 1951 only 16.6% of the total population was literate, the rate being much lower (6.61%) in the rural areas. In 1947 there were only 18 universities with a total student enrolment of about 300000. In 1965 five per cent of the rural population was not served by any school of at all. The facilities provided in existing schools were very poor, with majority of schools having no pucca building, blackboards or drinking water. Nearly 40% of primary schools had only one teacher to take three or four classes. Moreover there was a high rate of dropout. Nearly half of those enrolled in class I would have left school by the time they reached class N and been rapidly reduced to illiteracy again.