I have a CSV file and I wish to understand its encoding. Is there a menu option in Microsoft Excel that can help me detect it
OR do I need to make use of programming languages like C# or PHP to deduce it.
You can use Notepad++ to evaluate a file's encoding without needing to write code. The evaluated encoding of the open file will display on the bottom bar, far right side. The encodings supported can be seen by going to Settings -> Preferences -> New Document/Default Directory and looking in the drop down.