The Central Institute of English in Hyderabad was formed in 1958 as the English and Foreign Languages University (CIE). The EFLU Distance Education mandate is to advance and disseminate “instructional, research, and extension facilities in the teaching of English and foreign languages and literatures in India,” as well as “to take appropriate measures for interdisciplinary studies and research in literary and cultural studies, and to develop” Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s (India’s first Prime Minister) vision of establishing an institution to provide quality English teacher training.

CIE sets standards through its many conferences, refresher courses, and syllabus design efforts, in addition to regular teacher training programmes. Throughout this time, By providing school textbooks and later radio classes, the EFLU Distance Education also pioneered indigenous English education programmes.

The University gradually broadened the scope of its objectives, which included improving the quality of English education, doing pertinent research, and introducing foreign languages. With the addition of three major foreign languages – German, Russian, and French – it was renamed the Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages (CIEFL) in 1972.