A survey is made of various aspects of adult education in India since 1947, together with comparative accounts of the origin, development, and notable features of adult education in Denmark, Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and the United States. Needs and objectives in India, largely in the eradication of illiteracy, are set forth, and pertinent nomenclature is explained. Major domestic concerns-- community education and development, issues in labor education, the role of universities in adult education, the concept and scope of the welfare state, the educational role of public, university, and other libraries, social education in West Bengal, Maharashtra, and elsewhere in India, and the role of social education organizers-- are discussed in depth. Principles of adult learning and teaching, instruction in reading and handwriting, reading materials for literacy followup, audiovisual and visual aids, group discussion and related methods, the educational potential of museums, and the challenge of automation are also dealt with. Appendixes include university questions on social education, aims of cultural education, statistics on world literacy, and 16 references. (ly)