The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has reportedly made Aadhaar verification compulsory for users who book train tickets online through its platform. Passengers must complete Aadhaar authentication verification to confirm their identity before they can proceed with reserving their tickets, the Indian Express reported.
According to the report, IRCTC stated on Thursday that Aadhaar-based bookings are intended to benefit genuine passengers and to make it easier for them to book Tatkal and Advance Reservation Period (ARP) tickets. In an official statement, IRCTC said, “To prevent misuse of the online booking system and curb potential fraudulent bookings in Tatkal ticket booking, the following measures have been implemented.”
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Only Aadhaar-verified users will be allowed to book tickets on the date of opening of the Advance Reservation Period, according to revised rules for passengers by IRCTC. This means that passengers who have not authenticated their accounts with Aadhaar will not be able to secure tickets on the first day when reservations open. The corporation also clarified that Aadhaar verification will be mandatory for booking Tatkal tickets. This step has been introduced to regulate access to the high-demand Tatkal quota and to reduce misuse of the system.
IRCTC further stated that the introduction of Aadhaar-based verification has prevented the creation and operation of unauthorized user accounts and has acted as a safeguard against misuse. “…thereby ensuring fair allocation of Tatkal and tickets on the day of opening of Advance Reservation Period (ARP), significantly improving ticket availability for genuine passengers by enhancing transparency and reducing unfair booking practices,” it said.
The Aadhaar-based One-Time Password (OTP) verification system for online Tatkal ticket booking has been introduced in phases. It was initially operational in 322 trains as of Dec. 4, 2025. Following its implementation, confirmed Tatkal ticket availability time increased in about 65 percent of those trains.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply on December 10, 2025, that the phased introduction of Aadhaar-based OTP verification had led to improved ticket availability in a majority of the trains where it was implemented. In another development reported by The Daily Pioneer, the corporation has reportedly blocked 3.03 crore suspicious user IDs in 2025 to prevent misuse of the online booking system and to curb potential fraudulent bookings in Tatkal ticket booking.
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