They will poke you, friend you and you may even like them enough to follow them. The UPA ministers are about to hone their social networking skills and cyber world is their playing field. Elections are a year away and there is a realisation in the government that it is failing to communicate effectively. With 65% of the population under the age of 35 -- a sizable vote-bank -- the best way to connect is the virtual world. Recently, when the social media ragged over the Delhi gang rape, government found itself on the backfoot.

To correct such situations and more, Sam Pitroda-led National Innovation Council (NIC) has formalised a plan on the directions of the PMO to tap social media.

Last week, film director Shekhar Kapur, who is also an NIC member, suggested that ministers put forth the government view through networking sites.

The ministers should “tell a story” rather than deliver a “boring speech” on YouTube, said Kapur, who has brought many a story alive on the celluloid.

The ministers will soon be uploading two-minute videos on YouTube and will be tweeting as well— that of course will require them to stick to 140 characters, quite a departure from those long-lengthy speeches.

Information and broadcasting Manish Tewari is sold to the “fantastic idea”. “We will obviously take cognisance of the proposal and will try to take it forward,” he told HT.