India News Roundup| Record-breaking Paralympics medal tally, iPhone 15 price drops & more

India sets new Paralympic medal record, ranks 17th on the global stage; significant price drops for iPhone 15 series in India ahead of iPhone 16 launch; Rahul Dravid to return as Rajasthan Royals' head coach for IPL 2025, and more. Stay updated with what's happening in the country with this India news roundup.

On Tuesday, September 3, India achieved a historic milestone at the Paralympic Games by surpassing its previous best medal tally of 19, which was set at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2020.

The new record was propelled by the outstanding performances of Deepthi Jeevanji, Sharad Kumar, Mariyappan Thangavelu, Ajeet Singh, and Sundar Gurjar. As a result, India concluded the day in 17th place on the global leaderboard.

As Apple prepares to launch its new iPhone 16 series at the 'It's Glowtime' event on the 9th of September, last year's iPhone 15 Plus and iPhone 15 Pro models have seen substantial price reductions on Flipkart and Amazon. The iPhone 15 Plus is now available for under ₹75,000, while the premium iPhone 15 Pro is being offered at its lowest price to date on Amazon.

Former Rajasthan Royals captain and mentor, Rahul Dravid, is set to rejoin the franchise as head coach for the IPL 2025 season. Dravid, who recently concluded his tenure as the head coach of India's men's cricket team after their T20 World Cup victory in June 2024, has signed a deal with Rajasthan Royals.

Vikram Rathour is expected to join as an assistant coach, while Kumar Sangakkara will continue as the director of cricket.

The Uttar Pradesh government has extended the deadline for over 2.44 lakh state employees to submit their asset declarations. Initially, the state planned to withhold the salaries of employees who failed to comply with the asset declaration requirement by August.

However, after receiving requests from various employees, the government has granted a one-month extension, providing more time for different departments to meet the requirement.

Following the success of the ‘Manaskhand Express,’ Uttarakhand Tourism has announced a new special train service in October 2024, connecting Mumbai with Shri Kartik Swami Temple, Badrinath, and Kedarnath.

This initiative, part of a partnership between the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB) and IRCTC, will feature a dedicated 3AC train with a capacity of 400 passengers. According to the Secretary of Tourism and CEO of UTDB, the project aims to enhance connectivity between Uttarakhand and various regions of India.