President Pranab Mukherjee has rejected the Karnataka State Innovative Universities Bill, 2011, stating that it went against the regulations of the University Grants Commission (UGC).The bill would allow the government to "restructure and establish" certain universities in the state as Innovative universities.The Bill was passed in the state assembly during the tenure of V Sadananda Gowda as chief minister and the government planned to establish Mysore University and Karnatak University in Dharwad as innovative universities. According to a report by The New Indian Express, the President stated, “The Karnataka State Innovative Universities Bill 2011 is not in accordance with the University Grants Commission (UGC).”