The Himachal Pradesh University took the bold step right in the beginning and a Directorate of Correspondence Courses was set up after the establishment of the University. The University emerged as a pioneering institution in launching the programmes of distance education at the postgraduate level. In India, the H.P. University it was the first University to start Master of Arts in different disciplines and Master of Education and Master of Commerce. Over the years, its Directorate of Correspondence Courses gradually absorbed the emerging philosophy of distance education and adopted multi-media approach for imparting instruction. In view of this, the Directorate of Correspondence Course has been recharistened as the International Centre for Distance Educational and Open Learning (ICDEOL).