SDM Polytechnic Ujire

Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Polytechnic (SDM Polytechnic), Ujire, was established in 2008 by Padma Vibhushan Dr. D. Veerendra Heggade — Dharmadhikari of the renowned Dharmasthala temple, recipient of India's second highest civilian award, and chairman of the SDM Educational Society. The SDME Society runs 56 educational institutions from kindergarten to doctoral studies in Karnataka. SDM Polytechnic was established to provide quality technical education to post-matriculate rural youth in Belthangady Taluk and the surrounding Dakshina Kannada region — following the same rural empowerment mission that governs all SDM Educational Society institutions.

SDM Polytechnic is located on Ujire-Dharmasthala Main Road, near Siddhavana, Ujire-574240, Belthangady Taluk, Dakshina Kannada — 8 km from Dharmasthala temple and 65 km from Mangaluru. The campus is within the larger SDM educational complex that also includes SDM College (est. 1966), SDM Institute of Technology (est. 2007), and an SDM hospital. Affiliated to DTE Karnataka and approved by AICTE New Delhi. Courses: Diploma in Civil Engineering (60 seats), Computer Science and Engineering (60 seats), Electronics and Communication Engineering (60 seats), and Mechanical Engineering (60 seats) — 240 total annual intake. Duration: 3 years, 6 semesters.

Admission is through DTE Karnataka centralised counselling based on SSLC merit. ITI certificate holders are eligible for lateral entry into the second-year Diploma through DCET. Diploma graduates can pursue lateral entry into BE programmes at SDM Institute of Technology, Ujire, or other VTU-affiliated colleges. The institution emphasises both technical competency and value-based education aligned with the SDM mission of serving rural communities. Dr. D. Veerendra Heggade was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2015 for his contributions to education and rural development through the Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project (SKDRDP).