Central Institute of Fisheries Education is the premier National Fisheries University of India dedicated to development of quality human resources in frontier areas of fisheries and aquaculture. The institution was founded on 6 June 1961 under the Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of India and was subsequently included in the Indian Council of Agricultural Research in 1979. It was befittingly conferred the Deemed University status in 1989 and since then has contributed immensely to the development of the fisheries sector through its three-pronged mandate of research, teaching and extension.

Today it takes pride in its elegant and expansive campus comprising of state of art laboratories, library, hostels, guest house and sports facility. The university has six major Departments/ Divisions including Aquaculture; Fisheries Resources, Harvest and Post Harvest; Fish Genetics and Biotechnology; Aquatic Environment and Health Management; Fish Nutrition and Biochemistry and Fisheries Economics, Extension and Statistics. Its four Centres at Rohtak (Haryana), Kolkata (West Bengal), Kakinada (Karnataka) and Powarkheda (Madhya Pradesh) are spread over different agro-climatic zones and have inland-saline, freshwater and marine farm facilities for on-farm education and extension. Two training-cum-research fishing vessels M.F.V. Saraswati (36 m OAL) and M.F.V. Narmada (11 m OAL) greatly contribute to the learning and research experience of our students and other institutions. Presently, CIFE awards M.F.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in eleven disciplines.

The institute has grown several folds since 1961 under the steadfast guidance of ten Directors/ Vice Chancellors. Under the able stewardship of its present Vice Chancellor Dr. W. S. Lakra, the University is expanding its sphere of activities and has strengthened its collaborations and linkages with leading national and overseas fisheries institutions for enabling cutting-edge research and human resource development.