New Delhi: Even as high political drama was being played out in Karnataka where the BJP was busy cobbling up numbers to form the government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a Union Cabinet meeting on Wednesday where three key decisions related to HRD, petroleum and health ministries were taken in the absence of the concerned ministers.
The Cabinet approved setting up of a “Central University of Andhra Pradesh” in Ananthapur district of the state in accordance with provisions of Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2014. For this, funds worth Rs 450 crore have been approved by the Cabinet to meet the first phase expenditure.
The Central University would be mentored by an existing Central University till its governing structure is in place, official sources said.
Incidentally, all the three key ministers — HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar along with petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan and health minister J.P. Nadda — are currently in Karnataka to ensure that the party manages to garner the required numbers to form the government.
The Cabinet also approved the National Biofuels Policy 2018 under which doping of ethanol produced from damaged foodgrains, rotten potatoes, corn and sugar beet with petrol will help cut oil imports by Rs 4,000 crore during this year alone. Till now only ethanol produced from sugarcane is allowed to be mixed in petrol. Under this policy, surplus agricultural produce would also be used for production of ethanol and for blending with petrol, sources said.
Aiming to seek transparency, accountability and quality in homeopathy education system, the Cabinet approved an ordinance which will replace the existing Central Council of Homeopathy with a board of governor.
