Sido Kanhu Murmu University (SKMU), formerly Siddhu Kanhu University, is a public state university situated in the Santhal Parganas region of Jharkhand state in eastern India. It has its headquarters at Dumka, the second capital of Jharkhand. The university offers both undergraduate and postgraduate courses in various streams and have 27 constituent colleges and 15 affiliated colleges across six districts of Jharkhand.
Sido Kanhu Murmu University was founded as Siddhu Kanhu University on 10 January 1992 by an Act of Bihar Legislative Assembly. It was carved out from Bhagalpur University, now known as Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University.
The university was renamed as Sido Kanhu Murmu University on 6 May 2003 by an amendment made in the section 3(1) of the Jharkhand State Universities Act 2000 (Amendment). It is named after Sidhu Murmu and Kanhu Murmu, brothers who led the Santhal rebellion against the British in 1855âÂÂ56.
The university was affiliated to the Association of Indian Universities on 6 May 1993. It was granted official recognition by University Grants Commission (UGC) under Section 2(f) of the UGC Act, 1956 on 30 May 1995, and was subsequently included under Section 12(B) of the Act on 8 August 2007. The university is also accredited by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and has a recognition from Department of Higher and Technical Education, Government of Jharkhand.
Like most state universities in India, the Chancellor of Sido Kanhu Murmu University is the Governor of Jharkhand. The position was previously held by the Governor of Bihar until the formation of the state of Jharkhand on 15 November 2000 and by the Governor of Jharkhand thereafter. The Vice-Chancellor serves as the chief executive of the university.
As of 2025, the Vice-Chancellor of Sido Kanhu Murmu University is Prof. (Dr.) Kunul Kandir, who assumed office in May 2025.
The university have its jurisdiction extends over six districts â Deoghar, Dumka, Godda, Jamtara, Pakur and Sahibganj.
This university comprises 15 affiliated colleges, which are:
This university comprises 27 constituent colleges, which are:
Constituent B.Ed Colleges:
This university comprises 5 constituent B.Ed colleges, which are:
Affiliated B.Ed Colleges:
This university comprises 11 affiliated B.Ed colleges, which are:
The University offers undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes across various disciplines in its campus and through its constituent and affiliated colleges. The academic framework of the university is organized under the following faculties:
Alongside conventional courses, the university also runs professional and vocational programmes. These include both (B.LIS) and (M.LIS), the Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) in the teaching sector and diploma courses in tribal languages, with a special focus on Santhali and other regional languages of the Santhal Pargana region.
Admission
The admission process for both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at the University is conducted online through the Chancellor Portal and CUET. For undergraduate courses, candidates must have passed the Higher Secondary (10+2) examination, while for postgraduate courses a relevant bachelorâÂÂs degree is required. Selection is generally merit-based, determined by marks obtained in the qualifying examination, followed by publication of merit lists, document verification and fee payment. For professional programmes like MBA, BCA and MCA, admission also requires qualifying performance in national or state level entrance or university based entrance examinations like MAT, JCECEB, CUET PG etc.
For Ph.D. admissions, candidates must possess a masterâÂÂs degree in the relevant subject with a minimum of 55% aggregate marks (50% for SC/ST/OBC) and must have qualified through JRF/NET/NET-Ph.D./GATE/JET, etc., with selection based on exam performance and an interview.
Accreditation and recognition
The university is recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) under Sections 2(f) and 12(B) of the UGC Act, 1956. It received accreditation from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) in 2018. The university is also affiliated to the Association of Indian Universities.