Starting October 1, 2025, Indian Railways has implemented a major change in online ticket booking. Aadhaar verification will now be mandatory for booking General Reservation Tickets, just like Tatkal tickets. According to the Railways, this revolutionary step has been taken to prevent ticket black marketing, fraudulent bookings by agents, and fake bookings. This new rule will directly benefit ordinary passengers in obtaining confirmed tickets.
Who will not benefit from booking in the first 15 minutes
After the ticket booking window opens on IRCTC, from 8:00 AM to 8:15 AM, only registered passengers will be able to book tickets. This rule will apply to both AC and non-AC classes. Agents and passengers with fake IDs will not be able to book tickets during this crucial time. Most importantly, IRCTC users who have not linked their IRCTC account to Aadhaar will be barred from booking confirmed tickets within the first 15 minutes.
Important amendments to counter booking rules
Indian Railways has also made significant changes to counter booking rules. Aadhaar verification and OTP verification will now be mandatory for passengers booking tickets at PRS counters at railway stations. If you are booking a ticket for someone else, they will also be required to provide the passenger’s Aadhaar number and OTP. This strict procedure has been implemented to eliminate fraud.
Simple process to link your IRCTC account to Aadhaar
If you want to take advantage of the fast booking feature within the first 15 minutes, you must immediately link your IRCTC account to Aadhaar.
Log in to the official IRCTC website.
Now go to the “My Profile” section and select the “Link Your Aadhaar” or “Aadhaar KYC” option.
Here you will need to enter your 12-digit Aadhaar number and name.
After entering your Aadhaar number and name, enter the OTP received on your mobile number and click “Submit.”
Once the OTP is submitted, your account will be verified with Aadhaar.
Direct and significant benefits for passengers
According to IRCTC, Aadhaar verification will directly benefit millions of passengers. Linking Aadhaar will enable faster ticket booking within the first 15 minutes of the golden period. This will eliminate fraudulent practices such as fake IDs and agents. This unprecedented change will reduce the number of waitlisted tickets and make it much easier for ordinary passengers to obtain reserved tickets. Currently, IRCTC has 141.5 million registered users, but only 18.5 million of them have verified their accounts with Aadhaar.