Democratic and Republican leaders in both houses of Congress have expressed strong support for the bill, which received easy committee approval in the House.

But some lawmakers have expressed doubts about extending civil nuclear technology to India, which is not a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Under the deal, the United States will aid the development of civil nuclear power in India in return for New Delhi placing its civil nuclear facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections.

Supporters greet the deal as a sign of a geopolitical re-alliance following the Cold War, one which allows India to jump-start its quest for alternate energy, as its economy booms.

Detractors however say they are not yet convinced that India can be trusted to safeguard critical atomic secrets, or to refrain from using atomic material to seek to procure a nuclear edge over neighboring rival power, Pakistan.

"We are deeply concerned that this proposal, in its current form, will blow a hole in the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, allow India to greatly increase the size of its nuclear arsenal, and potentially spark a nuclear arms race in Asia," House Democrat Ed Markey told a press conference Tuesday.

Markey said the bill would allow India to dramatically increase its production of nuclear weapons.

"The agreement would create a huge exemption for India from US nonproliferation laws and international norms," he said. "By shipping India fuel for its civilian reactors, this legislation potentially frees up their entire supply of domestic uranium for use in weapons."

He added: This will result in a bonanza of newly-available nuclear material for weapons, which experts estimate could allow them to increase their nuclear weapons production from seven warheads a year to 40-50 warheads a year.

Critics also fear the bill could ratchet up the arms race in Asia.

"Just yesterday the world learned that Pakistan is building a huge new plutonium-production reactor which will allow them to increase their weapons production from 2-3 weapons a year to 40-50," Markey said.

"If you think that Pakistans new reactor and this nuclear deal with India arent related, youre fooling yourself."

The US Atomic Energy Act of 1954 currently prevents the United States from trading nuclear technology with nations that have not signed the NPT. It has to be amended for the deal to be effective.

A dozen nuclear experts this week also had doubts about the accord. They sent a letter to IAEA director-general Mohamed ElBaradei criticizing his statements of support for the Indian-US nuclear deal.

The experts called ElBaradei's promotion of the deal "surprising and disappointing" because it requires breaking with existing US and international nuclear trade rules, and undermines global efforts to stop the spread and build-up of nuclear arms, according to a press release from the Arms Control Association (ACA).

"ElBaradei has been a long-time champion for nuclear disarmament and an outspoken critic of nuclear double standards, which is why his endorsement of the Indo-US deal is so puzzling and upsetting," said Daryl Kimball, ACA executive director and one of the letter signatories.

India tested nuclear weapons in 1974 and 1998 and, as a result, is currently banned by the United States and other major powers from buying fuel for atomic reactors and other related equipment.

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