School of Planning and Architecture had a modest beginning in 1941 as the Department of Architecture of Delhi Polytechnic. It was later affiliated to the University of Delhi and then integrated with the School of Town and Country Planning which was established in 1955 by the Government of India to provide facilities for training in Rural, Urban and Regional Planning. Recognizing the specialized nature of the fields in which the School had attained it's eminence, the Government of India, through the Ministry of Education and Culture, conferred on the School of Planning and Architecture the status of 'Deemed to be University'. This new status enabled the School to broaden it's horizon by introducing new academic extension programmes, promote research and award it's own undergraduate, post-graduate, and doctoral degrees. The location of the School in New Delhi, the national capital, offers opportunities for participation in the city's rich cultural life and for interaction with various national as well as international institutions, attracting students from all over India and from other developing countries.