The Department of Materials Development, Testing and Evaluation is one of the oldest academic divisions of the University. Set up in 1963 as a textbook unit, it has emerged as a premier symbol of the University’s success in strengthening the teaching of English in India. Its roll of honour in the last five decades has included eminent ELT specialists like ML Tickoo, AE Subramanian, PT George, V Sasikumar, KA Jayaseelan, Esther Ramani, and SR Prahlad.

The Department’s singular achievement has been the establishing of materials development and testing as significant areas of specialization in English language studies in the country. Its teaching materials have been widely used by national bodies like NCERT, CBSE, the Navodaya Vidyalaya Sangatan, the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangatan, IGNOU, and state agencies like the AP Board of Secondary Education, the AP Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society, the MP Board of SecondaryEducation and the Arunachal Board of Secondary Education. It has also been at the cutting edge of efforts to introduce innovations in curriculum design, methodological practices,proficiency teaching,and testing procedures. Among its notable publications are the General Series and Special Series English school textbooks (the first indigenous teaching materials developed in India), the two epoch-making Language Through Literature volumes, the highly innovative ENGLISH 400 Reading Cards and Coursebooks, the socially relevant CIEFL–APSWREIS Reading Programme, and the ambitious CIEFL-UGC Functional English Resource Books.