IIT Mandi is a great institute for higher education, but like any institution, it does have some downsides. 

• IIT Mandi campus is remotely located and the town surrounding the campus is small and lacks basic amenities. For example, it is difficult to get things required for projects. It is either unavailable in Mandi or expensive. You have to order online but delivery takes 1-2 days more.
• Mandi is less developed as compared to other cities like Ropar, Gandhinagar, etc thus hampering placements.
• IIT Mandi campus is located in the mountains which can be challenging for students who are not used to the altitude. 
• IIT Mandi campus is still in its development phase and thus lacks in terms of facilities and resources.
• Owing to its remote location, IIT Mandi students find it difficult to connect with friends and family who live far away.
• Additionally you might face problems with equipment or machines in labs, although such problems are also prevalent in other IITs.

This being said, IIT Mandi is doing a good job and overall comparison shows that it is one of the better colleges among new IITs.

MS in IIT Mandi offers four schools; they are as follows:

1. School of Computing and Electrical Engineering (SCEE)
2. School of Engineering (SE)
3. School of Basic Sciences (SBS)
4. School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS)

The branches for each school vary based on the interests of the scholars. For example, SCEE has many branches of power electronics, control systems, machine learning, computer vision, power systems, image processing, and so on.

IIT Mandi MS research program is a 3-year program. However, you can also complete the program in 2.5 years; it may depend on your research work. The placement support is good at IIT Mandi. You need to strive hard for the successful completion of your research work in your area of interest. You must also have good programming skills for future opportunities. 

No, there is no other alternative than hiring a taxi at 2 a.m. since the last bus to Kamand is around 9:30 p.m. But hiring a taxi for INR 800 is expensive; you can bargain until the price cuts to around INR 500, and this is not an easy task since the taxi drivers charge high at night. 

Usually, the students chose HRTC (the bus service offered by the government) to reach the Kamand campus. The first bus to Kamand is scheduled for 6 a.m., and the bus starts from the HRTC bus stand in Mandi, which is opposite the Vallabh Government College. 

IIT Mandi is advancing every year. Now the first-year students need to share the room with two other people. You will be accommodated in the single-seater from your 3rd year onwards. They offer the best facilities to the students in the hostel

The mess food is good enough when compared to other college hostels. The menu is arranged based on the preferences of the students. If you belong to the South Indian side, then it is pretty difficult for you to get used to the food, but you can approach the hostel authority and tell them your preference. There are six canteens and cafes available inside the campus, other than the hostel mess.

It is a very good decision to get acquainted with the syllabus, it makes things easier for you

In the first semester, the courses offered are:

1. Electrical System– This section deals with the basics of Electrical Engineering.
2. Engineering Mathematics - You need to study the topic of calculus in detail.
3. Computation for Engineers – Basics of C programming and Ubuntu Operating System
4. Engineering Drawing - Mainly deals with graphic design and the basics of the projection of 3D on 2D panels.

The practical session in the first semester includes:

1. Computation for Engineers Lab – Lab based on the theory course on computation.
2. Electrical System Lab – Lab based on the theory course on electrical.
3. Reverse Engineering – It is a mechanical lab dealing with vacuum cleaners, microwaves, and so on.

In the second semester, the courses offered are:

1. Linear Algebra – Detailed discussion on theoretical algebra
2. Engineering Thermodynamics – Detailed discussion on the first and second laws of thermodynamics
3. Product realization Technology – mainly deals with welding, casting, machining, and so on.
4. Applied Electronics – you need to deal with BJT, MOSFET, and operational amplifiers, along with logic gates.

The practical session in the second semester includes

1. Product Realization Technology Lab – Practical in welding, casting, milling machines, and so on.
2. Applied Electronics Lab – Practical on electronics and study their respective functions
3. Programming and Data Structure Practicum – Second level of C Programming

You can also learn English in the first semester to improve the language

You can use the library facility at the college for more reference books. Books are available in PDF format on the IIT Mandi Cloud.

You can begin with C programming if you wish to prepare for the course.

IIT Mandi offers the best hostel facilities to its students. You are given the opportunity to become socially active. While segregating the students, the hostel authorities ensure proper mixing. 

You will be separated based on your branch of study. You will get exposure to meet and make new friends from different branches than your own. 

IIT Mandi hostel rooms are fully furnished and provide you with good-quality chairs, desks, a wardrobe, yoga mats, sports items, a microwave, and so on. IIT Mandi always gives importance to the comfort of the students. The whole area of the college and hostel is the perfect place for your studies.

If you're getting IIIT H for coding, then you're definitely going to face some heavy competition although it should be your choice because of its expertise. NIRF has ranked it #43 and IIIT Delhi ranks #58, whereas IIT Mandi ranks #31 the same. Their coding culture is evolving and it can be estimated that their ICPC and GSoC are going to improve a lot in the upcoming times. 

Here are some facts for you-

• IIIT Delhi was established a year before IIT Mandi. It is basically CSE-centered, with marked attention to it. IIT Mandi, on the other hand, has a lot of varied branches and so the coding culture is a bit more advanced at IIIT Delhi.
• The IIT tag is much sought after, however, being from IIIT is not a bad deal either. At IIIT D a lot of big names like Google, Amazon, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, and Accenture come for recruitments, although your overall performance will decide your placement. 
• The campus at IIIT D is quite beautiful and doesn't lack anything. It has hostels, recreation centers, dining facilities, a library, and an information center. The second phase of construction is ongoing as well.

Here's a comparison table-

If you reside in Delhi or Mandi, you should definitely visit the campus to decide. At IIIT D you can visit during open house sessions to experience its liberal culture. You can now decide according to your situation and goals.