Archive · 8 Nov 2025
Indian Railways Makes Aadhaar Authentication Mandatory for Online Bookings
Indian Railways wants to make sure that everyone who wants to book a train ticket gets a fair chance.
From October 28, 2025, if you want to book a ticket online between 8 in the morning and 10 in the morning, you need to prove you are you by using your Aadhaar card.
This is like showing your ID to make sure only real people are booking tickets and not sneaky people who use computers to grab all the tickets.
If you haven't linked your Aadhaar yet, you can still book tickets before 8 am or after 10 am.
This rule is only for booking tickets on the internet or through the app, not at the ticket counter at the station.
It's part of a plan to stop people from cheating the system and selling tickets for more money.
To link your Aadhaar, you can visit the IRCTC website, go to your profile, and follow the steps to verify your Aadhaar number.
This helps make booking tickets more honest for everyone.
Indian Railways has made Aadhaar authentication mandatory for online train ticket bookings via IRCTC between 8 am and 10 am.
This measure, effective October 28, 2025, aims to curb fraudulent bookings and ensure fair access for genuine passengers during peak hours.
Passengers who have not linked their Aadhaar can still book tickets outside this 8 am-10 am window or at physical PRS counters.
The requirement is part of ongoing efforts to prevent misuse, bulk booking, and ticket resale by touts and automated software.
Passengers can complete Aadhaar verification online through the IRCTC website by linking their Aadhaar number or Virtual ID.
- Who
- Indian Railways (through IRCTC)
- What
- Mandatory Aadhaar authentication for online train ticket bookings during specific peak hours.
- When
- Between 8 am and 10 am, effective October 28, 2025.
- Where
- On the IRCTC website and mobile app.
- Why
- To curb fraudulent bookings by touts and automated software, and ensure fairer access to tickets for genuine passengers during peak reservation times.
Rationale for Aadhaar Authentication
Implications for Passengers
Preventing Misuse and Ensuring Fair Access
Rationale for Aadhaar Authentication
Aadhaar authentication during the 8 am to 10 am window aims to prevent fraudulent bookings by touts, automated software, and agents, ensuring fairer access to tickets for genuine passengers during peak hours.
Implications for Passengers
Passengers who have not linked their Aadhaar may face additional steps or restrictions during the specified booking window, potentially causing inconvenience.
Strengthening System Integrity
Rationale for Aadhaar Authentication
The measure is part of a broader strategy to enhance transparency, eliminate bulk booking and ticket resale, and improve the overall integrity of the ticketing system.
Implications for Passengers
Some passengers might be concerned about the mandatory linking of Aadhaar for a service, raising questions about data privacy and the necessity of the verification process.
- Effective Date
- October 28, 2025
- Booking Platforms Affected
- IRCTC website and mobile app
- Time Window for Mandatory Aadhaar Authentication
- 8 am to 10 am
- Purpose of Measure
- Curb fraudulent bookings, prevent misuse by touts and agents, ensure fairer access for genuine passengers
- Exemptions
- Bookings before 8 am or after 10 am, bookings at physical Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters
- Previous Related Measures
- Aadhaar verification for Tatkal bookings (from July 1), OTP-based Aadhaar authentication for online bookings, agents, and PRS counters (from July 15)
