Sriharikota: India achieved a significant milestone in space exploration as it successfully launched its third mission to the moon, Chandrayaan 3, using its largest rocket, the Launch Vehicle Mark-III (LVM3). The historic launch took place at 2:35 pm on Friday, July 14, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

Chandrayaan 3 is the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) second attempt to soft-land near the lunar south pole, following the unsuccessful landing of Chandrayaan-2 in 2019. The mission aims to make India the first country in the world to achieve a soft landing near the moon's south pole and the fourth nation, after the former USSR, the United States, and China, to successfully land a spacecraft on the lunar surface.

Approximately 16 minutes into the flight, around 2:50 p.m., the rocket flawlessly released the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft at an altitude of approximately 179 km. Now, the spacecraft embarks on its arduous journey to the moon, covering a distance of 384,000 km. The anticipated timeline projects a soft landing on the lunar surface between August 23 and 24.

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New Delhi (PTI): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday registered a case to probe recovery of 79 crude bombs in poll-bound West Bengal, officials said.

The move came following a directive by the Union Home Ministry in this regard, they said.

In pursuance to the home ministry's order, the anti-terror agency on Sunday registered a case, which was originally filed at Uttar Kashi police station, Bhangar division, Kolkata on Saturday, and took up the investigation, an NIA spokesperson said in a late night statement.

"The case pertains to recovery of 79 crude bombs and other incriminating materials by Kolkata police, which were being stored at a spot, thereby endangering human life and property," the spokesperson said.

Earlier in the day, the Election Commission had directed the West Bengal Police to launch a special drive to arrest those involved in illegal manufacturing of crude bombs in the poll-bound state, an official said.

It asserted that all cases related to the making of any such explosive would be probed by the National Investigation Agency, the official said.

The directive came after the police recovered a large number of crude bombs from the house of a person, allegedly a TMC worker, at Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district, days ahead of the second and final phase of the assembly polls in the state.

The explosives were recovered during a search at the residence of Rafikul Islam following specific inputs, the official said.

The poll panel also issued a warning to senior police officers across the state over any lapse in maintaining law and order before the April 29 polling.

The first phase of the assembly elections in West Bengal was held on April 23, while the second phase will take place on April 29. Votes will be counted on May 4.

A record 93.19 per cent turnout has been recorded in the first round of polling. Bhangar will vote in the second phase.