Sikkim Manipal University – Directorate of Distance Education (SMU-DE) has launched special initiatives for students belonging to Sikkim and North East region. The 6th Annual Vidyadeep Scholarship and Special Scholarships for Digital Marketing program conducted by Manipal in association with Google were launched during the 14th convocation of Sikkim Manipal University held on September 20. These scholarship schemes aim to cater to the aspirations of students from North East who aspire to further their education.
For the financial year 2014- 2015, SMU will set aside Vidyadeep Scholarships worth Rs. 2 crore. The fee waiver of the scholarships will be available for more than 2000 students from the North East region. These scholarships are applicable for all the programs offered by SMU through their Distance Education platform.

As a part of its continuous efforts to assist students from the North East to secure jobs, SMU has also launched a special scholarship on Digital Marketing programme which is offered in association with Google. This initiative will enable careers in Digital Marketing for 500 students.

SMU will provide 50 percent scholarship for the program that costs Rs. 25,000 (exclusive of service tax). Students from North East who will enroll for the program will be required to pay only Rs. 12,500 (exclusive of service Tax). This program is a mixture of both online and offline learning. The offline content will be conducted as a two weeks program at Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology (SMIT), Majitar, Sikkim. SMU will also provide residential accommodation at subsidised rate during their stay for attending the program.

Speaking about the initiative, Dr. Somnath Mishra, vice chancellor, Sikkim Manipal University said, “SMU has always focused on designing special programs that aid in empowering the youth of Sikkim and North East region. Mainly of focus is the Digital Marketing Program which is in association with Google.With increase in internet penetration, there is an ever increase in need of Digital Marketing professionals. This program would enhance digital marketing skills among students in this region and create new career opportunities. We believe education can make a positive difference to the youth belonging to North East and we consistently strive towards making education more accessible without compromising on the quality of delivery.”

Sikkim Manipal University (www.smu.edu.in) ‎is a unique public-private initiative between the Government of Sikkim and Manipal Education. SMU, a state university, is recognised by the University Grants Commission (UGC), Ministry of HRD and is a member of the Association of Indian Universities. The Directorate of Distance Education, SMU is ISO 9001:2008 certified.