NEW DEAL: A day after winning the mandate for going ahead with the Indo-US nuclear deal, government on Wednesday pinned hopes on the August one meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors, saying the next steps would be taken after the Board's approval of the India-specific safeguards agreement.

"There is no question of fast-tracking or slow-tracking (the nuclear deal). It is a process which is on," Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters here when asked whether the confidence vote would now propel the government to steam ahead with implementation of the nuclear deal.

Asked about the progress being made on the deal, he said, "I understand that the IAEA Board (of Governors) is meeting on August one."

The IAEA Board is meeting to consider approval of the India-specific safeguards agreement which has been handed over to it recently.

On being questioned as to what steps the government was taking to get NSG clearance for the deal, Mukherjee said, further steps would be taken after the IAEA Board approval.

After the IAEA clearance, India will have to get exemption from the NSG before the US Congress could be approached for final vote.