🚆 Indian Railways Prioritizes Aadhaar-Linked Users in Tatkal Ticket Booking
In a major step to ensure fairness and transparency, Indian Railways has rolled out a new rule for Tatkal ticket bookings: only Aadhaar-verified users will be allowed to book tickets in the first 10 minutes after bookings open. This move is aimed at reducing the involvement of touts, agents, and bots that often grab a large share of tickets.
🛑 No Agents, No Bots — Only Real Passengers First
Between 10:00 AM and 10:10 AM for AC classes (and a similar early window for non-AC), only passengers with Aadhaar-linked IRCTC accounts can access the booking system. IRCTC has ensured that no agents or unauthorized platforms can manipulate the booking process during this period.
🎯 Objective: Protect Genuine Travellers
With over 2.25 lakh Tatkal tickets booked every day, the aim is to prioritize genuine passengers and minimize exploitation by fraudsters. IRCTC has been receiving multiple complaints about bookings being completed in seconds, leaving many passengers helpless.
🔒 IRCTC to Crack Down on Suspicious Accounts
The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has also announced a major clean-up of its system. Thousands of suspicious or bot-like accounts are under review, and many will be deactivated or blacklisted soon.
🔁 Improving the Booking Experience
The new system is expected to:
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Reduce booking failures
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Ensure fair access to limited Tatkal tickets
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Encourage passengers to link Aadhaar for smoother transactions
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Enhance trust in online railway services
👥 Why Aadhaar Verification Helps
By making Aadhaar linking mandatory for priority access, Indian Railways ensures that only authentic passengers can access Tatkal services early. This will discourage automated bulk bookings and make the process more human-friendly.
📅 Timeline and Implementation
The policy has been rolled out with immediate effect, and passengers are encouraged to verify their Aadhaar on IRCTC as soon as possible. Future enhancements could include biometric verification and OTP-based login for further security.
📢 Public Reaction
Passengers across the country have welcomed the move, calling it a step toward cleaning up the ticketing system and restoring fairness. Regular commuters and first-time travelers alike see this as a positive change.
