The United States Senate is expected to debate and vote this week on a bill that would permit civilian nuclear cooperation with India.

Congressional and diplomatic sources told this correspondent the long-awaited vote could take place on Wednesday or Thursday. The United States Congress commenced its lame-duck session on Monday and the U.S.-India nuclear deal features prominently on the agenda.

The members of Congress will go on a two-week Thanksgiving recess at the end of this week and will reconvene on December 4 to take up unfinished business. While the "second" lame duck session is expected to last until December 8, sources say this could well be extended, fueling hope for passage of the nuclear deal by the end of the session.

On Monday, both Republicans as well as Democrats indicated their intention to take up the India nuclear deal in the lame duck session. But before that they will vote on a bill that makes permanent trade relations with Vietnam.

In his remarks Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a Republican, said, "This week, the Senate agenda will focus on completing the remaining appropriations bills. And in the days and weeks ahead, we'll also need to consider the nomination of Bob Gates as Secretary of Defence, Vietnam trade legislation, and the U.S.-- India civilian nuclear technology bill, among others."

Mr. Frist's Democratic counterpart, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, said, "We have our mind on concluding the appropriations bills and the very important nuclear agreement with the largest democracy in the world, India, and we also want to do for a number of reasons, not the least of which the President is leaving in a few days to Vietnam, we would like to see that completed with the minimum amount of debate and amendments."

Once the Senate passes the nuclear bill it will be sent to conference -- a process in which differences between the House and Senate versions of the bills are reconciled. The leadership of the two chambers of Congress appoints conferees from committees which have jurisdiction over the legislation - in this case the House International Relations Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Conferees would then get together and look at parts of the bill that are not identical and decide on which competing provisions will be accepted. This will be followed by an up or down vote in the House and the Senate and if approved, the final bill will be sent to the president to be signed into law.

Lawmakers have a packed lame duck agenda. They are expected to hold confirmation hearings on President George W. Bush's Defence Secretary nominee Robert Gates, and the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, John R. Bolton. The latter faces stiff opposition from congressional Democrats and some prominent Republicans. According to reliable sources, the White House is aware it faces an uphill battle with Mr. Bolton's confirmation and has approached Zalmay Khalilzad, currently the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, to consider taking up the U.N. post.

Meanwhile, the Indian American Security Leadership Council, a bipartisan organization created to encourage closer ties between the U.S. and India, called on Senators to pass the bill, a similar version of which was approved overwhelmingly by the House of Representatives in July.

"Now is the time for the U.S. Senate to take the steps necessary to pass this crucial legislation," said Ramesh V. Kapur, founder and president of the IASLC. "We believe that India, the world's largest democracy, with over half a century of electoral stability, is a growing military and economic force in the region, and can help safeguard American security in a way that no other country in the region can."

On Wednesday, the IASLC plans to run a full-page advertisement in Roll Call, a congressional newspaper, urging the Senate to pass the bill without any killer amendments. The advertisement will be signed by IASLC supporters from national veterans organizations. "We have been overwhelmed by the support we received from veterans organizations, Indo-American leaders and other Americans who are concerned about U.S. national security and have expressed to their Senators the need to have this bill passed before the 109th Congress adjourns," said Mr. Kapur.