The Central Institute of English was the brainchild of the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. CIE, as it was called then, was set up in 1958 in Hyderabad to train teachers of English. In April 1972, the Institute broadened its scope to include the major foreign languages, and was renamed the Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages. CIE became CIEFL, and in July 1973 in recognition of its high standards of excellence, the University Grants Commission accorded the Institute the status of a deemed university.
