If you travel by train often, then we have some news for you! Starting October 1, 2025, IRCTC is set to roll out a new rule for online ticket bookings. For the first 15 minutes after reservations open, passengers booking reserved tickets via the IRCTC website or app will be required to complete Aadhaar authentication. Scroll on to know more about this.
Aadhaar Authentication Mandatory To Book Tickets, Says IRCTC
According to The Financial Express, to reduce bulk bookings and ensure a smoother booking experience, Indian Railways will make Aadhaar authentication mandatory for booking reserved tickets starting October 1st, 2025. They hope this will halt the resale of tickets at inflated prices and make the whole process transparent.
As per the new rule, any tickets booked online through the IRCTC website or app should be booked during the first 15 minutes after reservations open. As for now, this rule is only applicable for Tatkal bookings. This means that only passengers with an Aadhaar-linked IRCTC account can book reserved tickets online in the first 15 minutes after the reservation window opens. Once this period is over, ticket booking will be open for all registered users as usual.
A Railway Ministry circular stated, “With a view to ensure that the benefits of the reservation system reach the common end user and are not misused by unscrupulous elements, it has been decided that with effect from 1.10.2025, during the first 15 minutes of opening of general reservation, reserved general tickets can be booked through the website of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC)/its app only by Aadhaar authenticated users.”
Also Read: Durga Puja 2025: Indian Railways Rolls Out 20 Extra Trains, IndiGo Adds 23 Flights To Kolkata
Here’s How You Can Complete The Process
If you travel with trains often, then link your Aadhaar to your IRCTC account before October 1, 2025. Here’s how you can do it –
1. Start by logging into your IRCTC account.
2. Head to the ‘My Profile’ section.
3. Click on the ‘Aadhaar Authentication’ tab.
4. Enter your 12-digit Aadhaar number and complete the verification process using the OTP sent to your registered mobile number.
5. Make sure your IRCTC account information matches your Aadhaar details to avoid any issues.
That’s it, you can complete your Aadhaar authentication on IRCTC with just these few steps. We hope this information was helpful to you all.
Cover Image Courtesy: Canva Pro/rvimages (representative image) & website/myaadhar
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