The State Cabinet on Friday gave in principle approval for setting up two private universities - Devaraj Urs Private University in Kodagihalli in Doddaballapur and Dayanand Sagar Private University in Bangalore.

While the former has been promoted by Sri Devaraj Urs Educational Trust for Backward Classes, whose chairman is former Union Minister R L Jalappa, the latter is promoted by the Dayanand Sagar Group of Institutions.

The universities will be formally set up after the legislature passes two separate bills. The draft bills are yet to be cleared.

In another decision, the State government gave its approval for 15 government and private engineering colleges for the phase 2 of the Centre assisted Technical Education Improvement Programme (TEQIP).

The institutions include University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering, Bangalore; Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering, Mysore; Malnad College of Engineering, Hassan; BMS College of Engineering, Bangalore; the National Institute of Engineering, Mysore; and Basaveshwara Engineering College, Bagalkot.

Dr Ambedkar Institute of Technology, Bangalore; M S Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bangalore; NMAM Institute of Technology, Nitte; Sri Siddhartha Institute of Technology, Tumkur; Siddaganga Institute of Technology, Tumkur; R V College of Engineering, Bangalore, PESIT, Bangalore and SDM College of Engineering, Dharwad.

The programme’s objective is to promote research and innovation, increase enrolment in post-graduate education and improve competence of faculty. The total project cost is Rs 221 crore, Kageri said.

The State Cabinet also approved the shifting of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) from Bangalore to Ramanagar.