In a move to prevent misuse and ensure fair access to reservations for the general public, the Ministry of Railways has announced that Aadhaar authentication will become mandatory for booking general reserved tickets online. This new rule will apply to all bookings made during the first 15 minutes of the reservation period via the IRCTC website or app, effective October 1, 2025.
According to a press release, this measure aims to curb the activities of unauthorised and unscrupulous elements. However, the new policy does not change the existing booking times for general reserved tickets at physical PRS counters across Indian Railways. Furthermore, the 10-minute restriction on authorised ticketing agents’ booking opening day tickets remains in place. This targeted change is designed to benefit the common rail passenger by making it more difficult for others to illegally acquire tickets during the crucial initial booking window.
