Decision time has arrived on the controversial nuclear cooperation proposal that was first proposed by President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in July 2005.

After a long delay, the Indian government has sidestepped domestic critics of the deal and is asking the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors to consider a new "India-specific" safeguards agreement that would cover a limited number of additional "civilian" reactors. The IAEA Board could meet on the matter by the end of July.