Latest news with #e-Aadhaar
NDTV
14 hours ago
- Business
- NDTV
Indian Railways To Make Aadhaar Linking Mandatory For Tatkal Booking To Ensure Fairness
The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) will make it mandatory for users to link their Aadhaar numbers and login IDs while booking train tickets under the Tatkal quota in order to make the process fair and glitch-free. The move will bar people from booking multiple Tatkal tickets simultaneously, which affects genuine users. "Indian Railways will soon start using e-Aadhaar authentication to book Tatkal tickets. This will help genuine users get confirmed tickets during need," Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recently said on X. Bharatiya Railways will soon start using e-Aadhaar authentication to book Tatkal tickets. This will help genuine users get confirmed tickets during need. — Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) June 4, 2025 "The Ministry of Railways, Railway Board, hereby notifies that the Centre for Railway Information System (CRIS) be allowed to perform Aadhaar authentication, on a voluntary basis, to establish the identity of ticket-checking staff, crew members and passengers, using Yes/No or eKYC authentication facility," noted a Gazette notification dated May 27, 2025. An IRCTC official told PTI recently that the Indian Railway has deployed Artificial Intelligence-based advanced technical solutions to curb unauthorised ticketing practices. The system detects and deactivates such user IDs before they can disrupt the booking system. As per the news agency, the move is already making progress as the creation of new user IDs on the IRCTC platform dropped from 60,000 to 65,000 per day to just 10,000 to 12,000. IRCTC has also blocked 35 million fraudulent user IDs, the official said. "Let's presume that a person named A approaches an unauthorised agent to get a ticket booked from Delhi to Agra. The agent will use several disposable email IDs (using domain names available on Google) and mobile numbers to create, let's say, 30 profiles on the IRCTC platform," the officials told PTI while explaining the process. The email ID becomes invalid, the profile, however, remains after authentication, which is used by unauthorised agents to book a ticket for a person. Hence, the agents have 30 attempts to book a ticket for that one person. Public outcry over Tatkal booking issues Several people have raised issues they face while booking the Tatkal tickets from the IRCTC website, with most recently Dr A. Velumani, the founder of Thyrocare, calling it "betrayal". Dr Velumani shared a viral image on his X account, which noted, "Tatkal booking on IRCTC has become a joke. Seats show available, but the moment it turns 10 AM, the site hangs. By 10:03, all seats are gone - even in remote routes. And then at 10:04, the site suddenly becomes smooth again, as if nothing happened."
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Mandatory e-Aadhaar authentication for Tatkal train tickets: What you need to know
In a significant move aimed at curbing misuse and streamlining ticketing, Indian Railways will soon make e-Aadhaar authentication mandatory for booking Tatkal tickets. The measure, proposed to go live by the end of June 2025, is part of the Centre's broader effort to ensure transparency and fairness in last-minute railway bookings. Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw recently stated that Railways will soon introduce e-Aadhaar authentication for booking Tatkal tickets. He took to social media and shared, 'Bharatiya Railways will soon start using e-Aadhaar authentication to book Tatkal tickets. This will help genuine users get confirmed tickets during need.' The Tatkal scheme, introduced to allow travelers to book emergency tickets at short notice, has long faced criticism due to rampant misuse by touts and automated bots. According to officials, many fraudulent agents bypass booking rules using fake identities or automated software, making it harder for genuine passengers to secure Tatkal tickets. How it works Indian Railways will address this by requiring consumers to utilise Aadhaar-based verification to confirm their identity when purchasing Tatkal tickets. This holds true for reservations made at counters as well as online at the IRCTC. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo Every ticket purchase made through the program will be digitally connected to a valid Aadhaar identification once it is put into place. Read more: $1000 to skip the US Visa queue? Donald Trump administration proposes new plan; find out here Benefits for genuine passengers To further prioritize legitimate travelers, the new system includes a provision where account holders who link their IRCTC accounts with Aadhaar will receive priority booking access during the first 10 minutes of the Tatkal ticket sales window. Notably, even authorized IRCTC agents will not be allowed to book tickets during this initial period. During the first 10 minutes of the Tatkal booking window, only Aadhaar-authenticated individual users will be allowed to book tickets. IRCTC-authorised agents, who have often been accused of bulk-booking and resale, will not be permitted to operate during this initial window. Combating fraudulent activities The new regulation comes after a Railways internal audit found widespread misuse. Authorities have revoked over 2.5 crore user IDs over the last six months on suspicion of unfair conduct. Approximately 2 million user accounts are also still being investigated. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who has been spearheading digital reforms in the sector, stated that the e-Aadhaar requirement would enhance transparency, reduce fraudulent bookings, and improve access for genuine passengers. Read more: 10 oldest cities in India and their rich heritage Officials have clarified that this new Aadhaar authentication requirement will be limited to Tatkal tickets and not affect regular ticket bookings at this time. The mandatory e-Aadhaar authentication for Tatkal ticket bookings is a significant step towards creating a more transparent and equitable ticketing system. By implementing this measure, the Indian Railways aim to ensure that genuine passengers have fair access to Tatkal tickets, thereby enhancing the overall travel experience. One step to a healthier you—join Times Health+ Yoga and feel the change
India Today
2 days ago
- Business
- India Today
Indian Railways to make e-Aadhaar verification mandatory for Tatkal tickets
Indian Railways will introduce an Aadhaar-based verification system for Tatkal bookings, officials said. By linking bookings with e-Aadhaar verification, authorities hope to ensure a more transparent and fair ticketing to IRCTC, the first advantage of Aadhaar verification is that Aadhaar-verified users will gain a 10-minute priority period when booking Tatkal tickets, which will be before all other users. No authorised agents will be permitted to book tickets during this time. Non-Aadhaar accounts will go through special verification before booking, and accounts under suspicion will be May 24 to June 2, the data indicated that most Tatkal tickets were sold in the first 10 minutes of opening, with roughly 67,159 tickets (62.5%) on AC booked in 10 minutes and about 66.4% in non-AC. About 12% of Tatkal tickets were booked 8 to 10 hours after the Tatkal window opened, indicating that the system accommodates last-minute bookings. WHY THE CHANGE?Several agents have been using bots and fake accounts to reserve multiple tickets for their clients, which prevents genuine users from accessing tickets. Over the past year, the IRCTC has blocked 35 million fake accounts and flagged an additional 2 million accounts as suspicious for further review. Moving forward, all accounts must be linked to Aadhaar to continue using IRCTC is implementing AI-based technology to combat misuse. These technologies are capable of identifying and preventing the abuse of automated bots, as well as blocking users with fake IDs and accounts created with temporary email addresses. Officials report that as a result of these measures, the daily creation of new accounts has decreased from 60,000-65,000 to just 10,000-12,000, significantly reducing traffic on the WILL SOON BE A MUSTThe Ministry of Railways, with approval from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), has tasked the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) with implementing Aadhaar verification for ticket bookings. Passengers will need to consent to the use of their Aadhaar details for authentication. This initiative aims to streamline booking systems and enhance security. Indian Railways to make e-Aadhaar verification mandatory for Tatkal tickets Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on X (formerly Twitter) that Aadhaar authentication for Tatkal ticket bookings will soon begin, helping genuine users secure tickets when needed move by Indian Railways is expected to bring more fairness and ease to ticket booking, helping real passengers get their tickets faster while curbing misuse by bots and Watch
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Indian Railways rolls out big changes to address Tatkal ticket woes, fraud IDs
After countless complaints from frustrated users unable to book Tatkal tickets, the Indian government is finally stepping in with a major overhaul. Indian Railways is gearing up for a major digital shake-up to make booking Tatkal tickets faster, fairer, and fraud-free. Starting later this month, e-Aadhaar authentication will become mandatory for all Tatkal ticket bookings, in a bid to eliminate scalping, bot misuse, and make last-minute travel a little less stressful for genuine passengers. Tatkal tickets, released just a day before the train's departure, have long been plagued by agents and bots that snap them up within seconds—leaving real travellers stranded. But that's about to change. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Rust Stands No Chance Against This Savage Rust Remover Remove Rust With Ease Undo No Aadhaar, No Tatkal According to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, passengers booking Tatkal tickets will soon need to verify their identity using e-Aadhaar at the time of booking. Users who link their IRCTC accounts with Aadhaar will get priority access during the first 10 minutes of Tatkal ticket sales. Not even authorised agents will be allowed to book tickets during this window. In fact, unverified users will now have to wait three days after registration before they can book Opening ARP, Tatkal, or Premium Tatkal tickets—giving Aadhaar-authenticated users a clear edge. Live Events Railways officials confirmed that even counter-based Tatkal bookings may soon require Aadhaar verification , creating a level playing field across both digital and offline platforms. Bots blocked, users unlocked The Ministry of Railways has also rolled out anti-BOT systems and partnered with a top Content Delivery Network (CDN) to boost website performance and prevent automated ticket hoarding. Previously, up to 50% of login attempts during Tatkal hours came from bots—but thanks to these upgrades, that number has plummeted. A whopping 2.5 crore suspicious user IDs have been deactivated, while AI-driven detection tools continue to monitor and act against bot activity. The results speak for themselves: on May 22, 2025, Indian Railways set a new record by booking 31,814 tickets in just one minute. The impact is already visible. Daily user logins jumped by nearly 20% in FY 2024-25, reaching 82.57 lakh, while daily ticket bookings increased by 11.85%. E-ticketing now accounts for over 86% of reserved tickets. A faster, fairer future for rail passengers With 87% of static content now served via CDN for faster load times and reduced server strain, the IRCTC platform is more robust than ever. Railways is also encouraging users to report issues via the Cyber Crime Portal, making passenger safety and fairness a top priority. So, if you've struggled with booking Tatkal tickets before—things are about to get smoother. Just make sure your Aadhaar is linked and ready—because in the new Indian Railways ecosystem, your ID is your ticket.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Aadhaar authentication to be must for booking Tatkal tickets
NEW DELHI: Soon Aadhaar authentication will be compulsory for booking Tatkal tickets both online and at counters, railway officials said. Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, "Use of e-Aadhaar authentication to book Tatkal tickets will help genuine users get confirmed tickets during need." The move is also aimed at eliminating the scope of agents booking tickets when the window opens only for passengers. Currently, out of around 13 crore users registered with IRCTC , the railways ticketing and catering arm, only 1.2 crore are Aadhaar authenticated. "We will start a campaign urging people to complete online Aadhaar authentication. Those booking tickets at counters will need to give Aadhaar number of the main passenger," said a source. At present, the window for Tatkal bookings for passengers opens from 10 am to 10.10 am for AC and 11 am to 11.10 am for non-AC tickets respectively. Now this window will be extended by another 10 minutes. For agents, the window is open between 10.10 am and 10.20 am for AC and from 11.10 am to 11.20 am for non-AC. "To further enhance fairness and efficiency, new user protocols have been introduced. Users not authenticated via Aadhaar can book advance, Tatkal or premium Tatkal tickets only after three days of registration, while Aadhaar-verified users can book tickets without delay," a railway spokesperson said.
