From 1 October 2025, passengers reserving basic reserved tickets on-line might want to authenticate their Aadhaar within the first quarter-hour of the reservation window. The Ministry of Railways introduced the change in an announcement issued by the Press Info Bureau (PIB), saying the step has been taken to stop misuse of the digital ticketing system and to provide real passengers precedence entry.
On-line bookings underneath tighter checks
Beneath the brand new rule, Aadhaar verification shall be necessary just for these utilizing the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Company (IRCTC) web site or cell app to e book basic reserved tickets throughout the preliminary quarter-hour of opening. After this era, bookings can proceed as regular with out Aadhaar authentication.
Officers mentioned the measure has been launched after complaints that bulk bookings by touts and unauthorised brokers typically left real passengers struggling to safe confirmed seats. Aadhaar-based authentication, the ministry famous, is anticipated to scale back such practices by making certain solely verified customers entry the system throughout the essential opening window.
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Counter bookings to stay unchanged
The ministry clarified there shall be no change within the current timings for reserving at computerised Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters throughout railway stations. Passengers choosing offline ticket purchases will proceed to observe the identical course of, with none requirement of Aadhaar authentication.
Brokers barred for 10 minutes
As per current guidelines, authorised ticketing brokers are barred from reserving tickets for the primary 10 minutes after basic reservations open. The ministry confirmed that this restriction will stay in power, alongside the brand new Aadhaar-linked digital requirement. This ensures that odd passengers, whether or not reserving on-line or at counters, get the primary alternative to order seats.
Why Aadhaar was introduced in
Railway officers mentioned the Aadhaar mandate throughout the preliminary minutes is a part of a broader effort to strengthen transparency and equity in ticketing. The ministry highlighted that Aadhaar authentication has already been used efficiently in different providers and is seen as a safeguard towards fraudulent exercise.
Indian Railways, which runs one of many largest ticketing operations on this planet, handles round 10 lakh reserved passengers every day. Officers mentioned the introduction of Aadhaar in on-line bookings is focused particularly on the high-demand opening window, the place confirmed tickets for well-liked trains typically get exhausted inside minutes. Whereas the rule tightens digital reserving checks, passengers reserving later within the day or by counters will face no further necessities.
