समानो मंत्रः समितिः समानी
समानं मनः सहचित्तमेषाम |
समानं मंत्रमभिमंत्रये वः
समानेन वो हविषा जुहोमि ||

समानी व आकूतिः
समाना हृदयानि वः|
समानमस्तु वो मनो
यथा वः सुसहासति||
- ऋग्वेद

An NGO Rajasthan Adult Education Association (RAEA) is a well-known organisation of India. In Hindi it is called राजस्थान प्रौढ़ शिक्षण समिति . The word समिति has a wider connotation- it means- 'an organised group of like-minded & similar-hearted people with total understanding and harmony.' The word समिति is taken from a Vedic saying 'समानो मंत्र: समिति समानी..' RAEA/समिति was set up 45 years ago by eminent educationists, senior civil servents, academicians, creative writers, theater artists, cinema directors and committed social workers of Rajasthan to promote the literacy programs in the state for liberating rural poor from ignorance, dogmas, taboos and ages long inertia. RAEA/समिति had many district level organisations in Rajasthan working in the field of literacy and social change. Bikaner, Jodhpur and Ajmer Adult Education Associations came into existance before RAEA was estabilished. Seva Mandir, Vidhya Bhawan and Rajasthan Vidhyapeeth were also engaged in similar projects. Their objectives were also the promotion of mass literacy, household industries for skill development and promoting women's development. Emancipation from poverty of downtrodden rural people were also their objective. RAEA was visualised as a state level organisation to support these district level organisations. RAEA/समिति has thus been a mass based organisation.