Making ministers computer-literate was the brainwave of Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel. So, a 15-day training programme was started on Tuesday. Though initially hesitant, the ministers are now enthusiastic. And as they are getting familiar with computers, they are realising its utility and don't mind the officers instructing them.

Agriculture Minister Nitin Patel is already convinced that a computer will help him monitor the availability of water in various dams. He is keen to learn and has asked the instructors to treat him like a student. ``A teacher is a teacher,', remarked Minister of State for Power and Urban Development Kaushik Patel.

Each day, the ministers are given a half-hour lecture, followed by practical, hands-on training. The ministers' presence is recorded each day, and the list sent to the Chief Minister. So far, the response has been good. ``Once they are acquainted with the basics, they will be exposed to more sophisticated programmes,'' says K C Kapoor, Additional Chief Secretary of I-T Department.

D K Sarvaiya, management consultant of Sardar Patel Institute for Public Administration, who is nodal officer for the project, said he faced some difficulties initially. ``Many ministers had never touched a computer before; they were afraid what would happen if they failed to learn. Besides, they do not know English. So, we arranged Gujarati software,'' he said.

Once the language barrier was broken, the impersonal, formidable-looking machines became familiar. Said Jails Minister Gabhaji Thakore, ``It is not at all difficult. Now, I practice even at home. I play harmonium, therefore, operating the keyboard is no problem''.

Gabhaji was pleasantly surprised to know that the computer has a spell-check which told him his mistakes. ``You learn as you use it,'' he said. Gabhaji is keenly waiting for the day when he will have an Internet connection that will help him access information anywhere in the world.

Minister of State for Fisheries Babubhai Bokhiriya said he always wanted to learn computers but, for some reason, could not. ``Now that the government has provided me an opportunity, I will make the best use of it,'' he said. Bokhiriya spent two and a half hours in the I-T cell on Thursday, trying to familiarise himself with the machine.

Interestingly, Sarvaiya said that some of the ministers, on the very first day, asked him how to access Internet. Others, however, were more keen on knowing how to play computer games. Sarvaiya doesn't mind it: the games will help ministers getting accustomed to using the mouse. But he won't allow the ministers to pass time playing games. He plans to conduct an exam at the end of the course.