Ranchi: The state cabinet on Tuesday approved drafts of the bills to set up four new private universities, including one named after the state health minister, a welfare fund for court clerks, amendments in the Indian Stamp Act and second official language status to Maithili, Magahi, Bhojpuri and Angika.

Of the 10 resolutions taken by the cabinet on Tuesday, seven were related to the preparations for enacting new laws.

Drafts of separate bills proposing four varsities - Ram Krishna Dharmartha Foundation University in Ranchi, Netaji Subhas University in Jamshedpur, Ramchandra Chandravanshi University in Vishrampur (Palamau) and Radha Govind University in Ramgarh - were approved and might be tabled in the Assembly during the ongoing monsoon session.

With this, state health minister Ramchandra Chandravanshi, who represents Vishrampur in Vidhan Sabha, will arguably become the only living politician in India to have a university in his name.

The second official language status for Maithili, Magahi, Bhojpuri and Angika is already effective through an ordinance, but will become a new law.

Cabinet co-ordination department principal secretary S.K.G. Rahate maintained that Schedule 11 of the Indian Stamp Act, 1899, will be amended in tune with recommendations by Indian Bank Association and Centre's department of economic affairs. The Jharkhand Advocates' Clerks Welfare Fund Bill draft too has been approved by the cabinet.

Other decisions

nRs 71.62 crore approved under Jnanodaya program-me to monitor the quality of elementary education in the state through an app named e-Vidya Vahini

• Rs 32.77 crore approved to set up cold storage units of 5,000 metric tonne each in Simdega, West Singhbhum, Garhwa and Godda districts

• Steps to be initiated to regularise the services of 159 teaching and non-teaching staff of 12 colleges granted constituent college status during unified Bihar days, complying with an order passed by Jharkhand High Court and further directives by Supreme Court.