"Today, Taiwan and South Korea are pioneers in these areas, we have to look into our capabilities and core competence," he told TOI in the midst of meetings with officials from the ministry.

The second-term MP from Guna, who is waiting for his senior A Raja to return from a tour to formally visit the ministry, has, meanwhile, done some homework to familiarize himself with the work and set his priorities.

"My knowledge at the moment is limited about the vast and extremely vital department," he admitted. However, his focus is on IT. "It is the lifeblood of the economy," he added.

Scindia said that all stakeholders of IT should buy into the forward vision. He favours a major shift in the priorities of IT -- "the cornerstone that has transported the brand equity of the country".

Turning to communications, he said the rapid spread of the mobile network would have to be sustained without allowing prices to go up and quality to drop. "We have to ensure that it goes down to the last man and works to his advantage," Scindia said.

His take on the humdrum neighbourhood post office holds promise. Disapproving the idea of renting out post office premises to earn some extra revenue, he said it was the only outpost of the Union government in remote areas.

"The post office will be the window to the world for the common man," he said. Scindia believes that instead of catering to the limited purpose of selling postage, the nondescript post office could become a multipurpose communication centre.