The Department of Information Technology (DoIT) of the state government will take a lead in the opening of the school with IBM Global Services providing the course material and other necessary technological inputs, said the spokesman. IBM will issue certificates to the successful candidates.The school will provide training in high-end IT sectors like Java, electronic commerce, internet and other IBM software products.

The state government also proposes to conduct `university program' covering all regional engineering colleges, state engineering colleges and the University of Rajasthan. IBM will support upgradation of the computer syllabi of the University of Rajasthan and engineering colleges in keeping with thetechnological advances made in the field of IT.

"We want to do things rapidly so as to catch up with other advanced states in IT such as Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka etc," said the spokesman.

With the help of IBM, the state will have high quality people repository in software technologies. Certified IBM software experts will become a part of the resource pool which IBM can have access to for development projects. IBM has agreed to provide software worth Rs 48.30 lakh free of cost under this programme.

According to Pawan Kumar, president of IBM Global Services, chief minister Ashok Gehlot's vision of an IT-driven electronic government in Rajasthan may now be achieved. The chief minister has also stated that he would provide a ``transparent and citizen friendly'' government to the state with the extensive use of IT in governance.

Gehlot said his government wants to give top priority to the IT so that Rajasthan becomes an electronic state.