What is Sikkim Manipal University of Health, Medical and Technological Sciences?
The Sikkim Manipal University of Health, Medical and Technological Sciences (SMU), Gangtok has been set up under Section 2 (f) of UGC Act 1956 vide Sikkim State Legislative Act (Act 1X of 1995). The University is a member of the Association of Indian Universities. The statute of SMU permits the University to offer programmes under distance learning mode across the country and abroad. Its state-of-the-art infrastructure, worth approximately Rs.150 crores, provides excellent facilities to students. The constituent institutions of the university are:

• Sikkim Manipal Institute of Medical Science (SMIMS)
• Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology (SMIT)
• Directorate of Distance Education (DDE)

What do you mean by Distance Education?
Distance Education refers to education which is imparted over long distances. SMU offers many Distance Education programmes as part of its effort to provide education to students who, for various reasons, cannot join the formal education stream. Postgraduate, graduate  degree level courses and postgraduate diploma level courses are offered in different disciplines such as IT, management studies, vocational sciences, life sciences and allied health sciences. All the students who have enrolled in the programme are provided with programme guides and Self Learning Material (SLM) for respective courses. This is further supplemented by learning through lectures by faculty, who are also called academic counsellors at the Learning Centre and lectures delivered through VSAT. The University uses a nationwide network of Learning Centres for various programmes. The concept of the ‘Virtual Classroom’ is used by the Sikkim Manipal University wherein lectures are broadcast from studios at Manipal, Bangalore and Mumbai and received by the students at various Learning Centres all over the country. The programme guide supplied to the student contains the assignments to be submitted by the student. Depending upon the subject, the required amount of practical training is imparted to students in the Learning centre.

What is the difference between Correspondence Course and Distance Education?
In a correspondence course, a student is expected to study on his/ her own from the Self Learning Material (SLM) provided by the University. A student does not have the benefit of a teacher for most part of the learning process who can provide him/ her with academic counseling. Click here to learn more about Correspondence Courses.

Distance Education is more structured and the teacher-student contact is better. The student is assigned to a Learning Centre. The centre conducts counselling and tutoring in a classroom environment to provide fundamental knowledge on different topics. The students submit assignments to the Learning Centre which are evaluated and the academic counsellors at the Learning Centres provide students with a continuous assessment of their performances. Click here to learn more about Distance Education.

Is Sikkim Manipal University approved by UGC?
The Sikkim Manipal University of Health, Medical and Technological Sciences, Sikkim was set up based on State Legislative Act (Act IX of 1995) of Govt. of Sikkim and is recognised by Union Ministry of HRD and the University Grants Commission. Sikkim Manipal University’s Degrees/ Diplomas/ Certificates are recognised by all members of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) and are at par with Degrees/ Diplomas/ Certificates of all Indian Universities/ Deemed Universities/ Institutions vide UGC Circular No.FI-B/ 92 (CPP) dated February 1992 & AIU Circular No. EV/ B(449) / 94/176915-177115 dated January, 1994.

Is it compulsory to attend classes under Distance Education Mode?
Each course provides counselling and hands-on training at Learning Centres. Students, in their own interest, are advised to attend these classes. However, attendance is not mandatory.

In case I join the Distance Learning Course of the University, is there any other payment other than course and examination fees that I need to pay?
Course fee and examination fees are detailed in the University Prospectus. No other payment is required to be paid to the University

To get admission under Distance Education of your university courses, do I need to go through an entrance examination?
There is no entrance examination for admission to any of the courses of the university at present. The admission to the courses is purely based on eligibility conditions related to academic qualifications of a student.

Is there a convocation at the end of the course?
SMU holds its convocation once in a year. The dates for the convocation are decided by Sikkim Manipal University, Gangtok. Usually, the convocation is held during September to December every year. However, please note that due to space constraints only selected distance education students, based on their merit position in the examinations are invited for the convocation.