New Delhi: Indian negotiators on the nuclear deal maybe finding it difficult to convince the IAEA on two key issues, according to reports in the media. If true, this problem may act as another hurdle in the operationalization of the nuclear issue before the US Congress sets its eyes firmly on the election path and the Bush administration assumes a lame-duck status.

Foreign secretary, Shiv Shankar Menon, said Friday that three earlier rounds of talks with the UN nuclear watchdog had been smooth, and expressed the hope that "we would wrap it up in the next round of talks in mid-January."

However, sources suggest that India may have failed to persuade IAEA to meet its concerns on two crucial issues.

First, India wants the "agreed text" to clearly mention its right to take "corrective measures" to ensure uninterrupted operation of its safeguarded civilian nuclear reactors if foreign fuel supplies are stopped for some reason, as in the case of the lifting of the moratorium on fresh tests.

Second, negotiators from both sides are yet to agree on the quantum of India's strategic fuel reserve needed for the entire life term of its safeguarded reactors. Under the separation plan, from the 22 nuclear power reactors in operation or under construction, the number of civilian reactors for which fuel is sought numbers 14.

IAEA would appear to be hedging on the grounds, firstly, that it is not in the business of supplying fuel, and secondly that it would not like to concede anything to India, which may become a precedent for other countries.

It's only after India and IAEA agree on the final agreed text, which, in turn, has to be cleared by the agency's Board of Governors, that the US will approach the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) for an unconditional exemption for India to purchase nuclear fuel internationally.

The Bush administration has to place the bilateral 123 agreement with India, along with the IAEA safeguards agreement and the NSG waiver, before the US Congress before this month ends, for the agreement has to undergo a compulsory 90-day gestation period in the House.

After the expiry of such a term US would be deep into the election mode. All in all the government would appear to have just over a week after prime minister Manmohan Singh's return from China on January 15 to resolve rush through the laid out roadmap.

The deal would appear to be more uncertain than ever before with external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee saying that that the IAEA apparently may not like tosign any agreement with a minority government, which is what the Congress-led UPA formation is likely to become once the Left parties walk out after any agreement with the IAEA is arrived at.

Russia and France have already expressed their interest to supply fuel and nuclear-related technologies to India and now observers are watching with interest China's response to any Indian request for support, if it should be made, during the course of the prime minister's visit to that country starting this week.

For the record, the Indian foreign secretary has ruled any such possibility saying that it would be a premature act