IRCTC New Rules Aadhaar Verification Mandatory for Tatkal and Advance Train Ticket Bookings

IRCTC New Rules: The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has announced a major overhaul in its online ticket booking process. In a bid to make the reservation system more transparent and passenger-friendly, Aadhaar verification has now been prioritized. This stringent measure aims to curb the rampant black marketing of tickets facilitated by touts and illegal software bots. With these new regulations, genuine passengers are expected to have a fairer chance at securing Tatkal and Advance Reservation Period (ARP) tickets.

Key Changes in Ticket Booking Rules

To tackle the issue of fake user IDs and fraudulent bookings, the railway authorities have implemented several strict mandates:

• Tatkal Bookings: It is now mandatory for users to have their accounts verified with Aadhaar to book Tatkal tickets online. Without Aadhaar verification, access to the Tatkal quota will be restricted.
• Advance Reservation Period (ARP): On the opening day of the booking window, only those users whose accounts have been authenticated via Aadhaar will be allowed to book tickets.
• General Quota Priority: During the first 15 minutes of the reservation opening, general quota tickets can strictly be secured by Aadhaar-authenticated users only.

Restrictions on Ticketing Agents

To ensure regular passengers get a fair opportunity, IRCTC has imposed time restrictions on authorized ticketing agents. To prevent bulk booking by agents immediately after the window opens, the following blocks are in place:

• AC Classes: Agents are barred from booking tickets between 10:00 AM and 10:30 AM.
• Non-AC Classes: Agents cannot book tickets from 11:00 AM to 11:30 AM.

Enhanced Security and Technical Upgrades

Beyond policy changes, IRCTC has significantly upgraded the security infrastructure of its website and mobile app to filter out malicious traffic and bot attempts.

• Simplified Login: The user interface has been cleaned up, and the annoying ‘Captcha’ on the login screen has been removed to facilitate faster access.
• Robust Server Performance: The implementation of a Content Delivery Network (CDN) will help manage high traffic loads, ensuring the website remains responsive during peak booking hours.

How to Link Aadhaar with Your IRCTC Account

To avoid last-minute hassles while booking tickets, passengers are advised to link their Aadhaar immediately. The process is simple:

1. Log in to the official IRCTC website or mobile app.
2. Go to the ‘My Account’ section and select ‘Authenticate User’.
3. Enter your Aadhaar Number or Virtual ID.
4. Verify the Name, Date of Birth, and Gender displayed on the screen.
5. Click on the ‘Verify details and receive OTP’ button.
6. Enter the OTP sent to your Aadhaar-registered mobile number to complete the verification.