In the current Monsoon Session of Parliament, a group of 11 Rajya Sabha members — including Maya Naroliya, Mithilesh Kumar, Dr. Dinesh Sharma, Mayank Kumar Nayak, Brij Lal, Kiran Choudhry, Dr. Sumer Singh Solanki, Narayana Koragappa, Ramilaben Becharbhai Bara, Baburam Nishad, and Rameswar Teli — put forward questions to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw concerning the functioning of the train ticket booking system.
The Members of Parliament requested clarity on whether Aadhaar authentication would be a compulsory requirement for booking Tatkal tickets and if individuals with Aadhaar-linked IRCTC accounts would be given booking preference. They also raised concerns about how these steps would deter agents and touts from exploiting the Tatkal ticketing system.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw issues clarification:
In response on August 1, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that Tatkal tickets can now only be booked via the IRCTC website or mobile app by users who have completed Aadhaar authentication. He further mentioned that booking agents are restricted from accessing the system during the initial 30 minutes of the Tatkal Advance Reservation Period (ARP).
“Measures taken in this regard have improved ease of booking by reducing instant booking of tickets. The system has also been made more equitable by restricting multiple bookings using fake accounts. Taking steps to ensure transparency in booking of Tatkal tickets based on feedback received on various platforms is a continuous and ongoing process,” the minister replies.
Tatkal e-tickets only for verified users:
Linking and verifying Aadhaar with IRCTC accounts has now become a mandatory requirement for booking Tatkal tickets.
This initiative is designed to enhance transparency in the ticket booking system and marks a major step in Indian Railways’ eight-year fight against the misuse of unauthorized software during Tatkal bookings. Scheduled to roll out on July 15, the new OTP-based verification process for both online and offline tickets is expected to reduce the speed of Tatkal bookings, potentially putting an end to the long-standing problem of tickets vanishing within seconds.
IRCTC and railway authorities have confirmed that Aadhaar verification is compulsory solely for Tatkal ticket reservations. “Those who haven’t linked their Aadhaar can continue booking standard train tickets via the IRCTC portal or mobile app,” an official stated.
The UIDAI integration with the IRCTC platform for Aadhaar-based authentication and OTP verification is expected to put additional strain on servers, potentially leading to slower booking speeds nationwide.
