Shashi Tharoor,Minister,live on Twitter

Shashi Tharoor,who also has a bilingual website,has been twittering since he took oath.

 Good and constructive mtg with Law Minister on Kerala High Court,visits from expat Keralites,reception by Delhi Mal Assn.

 Quite a day: representation from National Students Union of India on Australia,Pak release of LeT chief,lots of visiting Ambassadors…

 First dinner by EAM for diplomatic corps. back on a beat i thought id left when i quit the UN. But better food here! spoke French after yrs.

 First meeting with MEA Minister SM Krishna,an eminent figure in Indian politics. I will be handling mainly Africa & Arab world

 Weve taken it up at highest poss level,PM to PM. The Australians understand how concerned we are & hv promised to act

These are the latest tweets by new Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor,the first Indian minister to have taken on to the new world of Twitter a social networking tool where users share constant updates about their activities

Shashi Tharoor,Minister,live on Twitter through the internet.

Tharoor,who also has a bilingual website,has been twittering since he took oath. From updates on his meetings with the Prime Minister and talks with foreign representatives to his take on gay rights and experience of buying bandhgalas,Tharoor has been twittering to a growing fan club. With over 4,300 followers at last count,Tharoor also responds to questions.

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In a democracy like ours,accountability to voters is fundamental to who we are. The vast majority (of followers on twitter) are Indians and this is part of the whole process of making democracy more transparent, Tharoor told The Indian Express.

When asked about the propriety of a Minister sharing details of his work on the internet,Tharoor said: I will not be revealing any secrets. Everything I have said so far is purely in public knowledge. There are some things I cannot talk about. I wont reveal secrets on twitter just as I will not reveal secrets on TV. Its not the medium but the content that matters. Tharoor says that even though it will be difficult to keep up,he will try to stick on to twittering during his tenure as minister.

The ministers page on twitter.com also gives an insight to his personal life and opinions. For example,to a query on his take on Section 377 of the IPC that bans homosexuality,Tharoor says personally,i think it ought to be repealed. dont know what govt policy is,though. Glad there have been no prosecutions for yrs.

Tharoor says the twitter page will also help him as it will be a journal of sorts of his daily activity after taking charge. On the lighter side,he talks about visits to a tailor to get bandhgalas for the swearing-in to painful visits to a gym. Third successive day of gym training,aching in places I didnt know cld ache! Biggest regret: not stepping into a gym till I turned 40 says a Tharoor tweet.