Indian Railways Makes Aadhaar Verification Mandatory for Tatkal Bookings: Nationwide Drive to Authenticate IRCTC Accounts Begins

Mumbai | June 5, 2025 : In a major move aimed at ensuring transparency and curbing misuse in Tatkal ticket bookings, Indian Railways has made Aadhaar-based verification mandatory for all IRCTC user accounts, especially those booking Tatkal tickets. A nationwide authentication campaign has been launched to verify over 130 million user accounts currently registered with IRCTC.

According to railway officials, users who fail to verify their IRCTC accounts using Aadhaar risk account suspension or closure. As of now, only around 12 million of the 130 million IRCTC users have completed Aadhaar verification.“Your IRCTC account may be closed — get it verified quickly,” an official from the Railway Board warned, as the new e-Aadhaar-based system is set to become mandatory for Tatkal bookings.

Under the new rules:

• Only Aadhaar-verified users will be allowed to book Tatkal tickets during the critical first 10 minutes of the booking window.

• Authorized IRCTC agents will also be restricted from accessing Tatkal bookings during this initial period.

• Aadhaar OTP authentication will be mandatory for each booking attempt.

The Railways has said this step is crucial to prioritize genuine passengers, prevent misuse of the system by touts, and streamline ticket availability during peak hours or emergencies.

From May 24 to June 2, data shows:

• AC class Tatkal tickets: Out of 1,08,000 daily bookings, only 5,615 tickets (5.2%) were booked in the first minute. Nearly 67,159 (62.5%) were booked within the first 10 minutes.

• Non-AC category: An average of 1,18,567 tickets were booked daily, with 4,724 (4%) booked in the first minute and 66.4% within the first 10 minutes.

Officials noted that despite this rapid booking pattern, 12% of Tatkal tickets are still booked 8–10 hours after the window opens, indicating fair access when systems function properly.

Indian Railways is also employing artificial intelligence tools to detect and block automated bot activity and suspicious accounts. In the past six months, over 24 million fake or suspicious accounts have been deactivated, and another 2 million accounts are under investigation for irregular activity.“This is part of our ongoing effort to ensure that only genuine passengers benefit from the Tatkal quota,” a senior official explained. “We want to eliminate unfair practices and restore trust in the system.”

The Railways has hinted that even counter-based Tatkal bookings may soon require Aadhaar verification as part of future reforms. The goal is to strengthen the integrity of ticketing operations and align them with India’s broader digital identity initiatives.

Passengers are advised to visit the IRCTC website or app to complete their Aadhaar verification at the earliest to avoid disruptions and continue enjoying seamless booking services.