The Central Institute of Fisheries Education (CIFE) is the only Deemed University and institution of higher learning for fisheries science in India. CIFE has over four decades of leadership in human resource development with its alumni aiding in the development of fisheries and aquaculture worldwide, producing notable contributions to research and technological advancements to its credit.
The institute is one of four institutes operating under the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR); the other three being the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) and the Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI)
A total of four subcentres operate under CIFE, including ones at Kolkata (West Bengal), Rohtak (Haryana), Kakinada (Andhra Pradesh) and Powerkheda (Madhya Pradesh).
CIFE was instituted in 1961 originally as an inservice training centre to impart proficient training and education to fisheries professionals so as to equip them to face the growing challenges in the fisheries sector. Taking its efforts of almost twenty years into consideration, CIFE came under the administrative control of the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR,NEW DELHI). It was then conferred Deemed University status in 1989 by the University Grants Commission (UGC). As such, CIFE incorporated provisions for both research and education in its mandate. It has since made significant contributions toward enriching the quality of fisheries education in India.