Lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives have approved legislation allowing Washington to share civilian nuclear technology with India.
The bill, which passed Wednesday by a vote of 359-68, would allow the U.S. to resume selling nuclear technology to New Delhi, which was halted in 1974 after India conducted its first nuclear test.
In return, India is required to open its civilian nuclear plants to inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Supporters say the measure marks a turning point in U.S.-India relations since the end of the Cold War.
But opponents say it would undermine the nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, and trigger a new arms race between regional rivals India and Pakistan. The Senate is considering its own version of the House bill.