Tatkal ticket booking rules change from July 1: Aadhaar mandatory for IRCTC; how to link Aadhaar with IRCTC account
In a significant policy change aimed at enhancing transparency, root out fraud, and provide equitable access to emergency train travel, the Ministry of Railways has made comprehensive changes in the Tatkal ticket reservation system that will come into effect from July 1, 2025. As per the new guidelines, only the users who have registered their Aadhaar number with their IRCTC account will be eligible to reserve Tatkal tickets online, ushering a new era of digitally verified travel in India.
The shift, issued formally in a directive to all zonal railways on June 10, 2025, is a part of a larger effort to stem the rampant abuse of Tatkal tickets by unauthorized agents and bots. While Indian Railways has supported this step with an added Aadhaar-based OTP authentication level from July 15, 2025, to further robustify the booking process to benefit genuine last-minute travelers, the change is aimed to stem the rampant misuse of Tatkal tickets.
How to link Aadhaar to IRCTC account for Tatkal booking before the July 1 deadline
To be eligible to book Tatkal tickets after July 1, follow these steps to link your Aadhaar:
Pre-requisites:
Follow the steps below:
How to add Aadhaar-verified passengers to your master list
To make Tatkal booking faster, IRCTC provides the facility to pre-add passengers to your Master List and get them Aadhaar-verified.
Choose 'Aadhaar Card' as ID proof and fill in the Aadhaar number. Click 'Submit'. The status will display as Pending initially. You may verify status through 'Check pending Aadhaar verification' link. When verified, their information will be stored and automatically filled up while booking.
Tip: Regularly update your Master List to prevent delays during peak Tatkal sessions.
New Tatkal rules effective from July 1, 2025
1. Aadhaar verification becomes mandatory
2. More OTP-Based Aadhaar Authentication from July 15
3. Restrictions for agents
To avoid bulk bookings and provide regular users with a reasonable opportunity:
The Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) and IRCTC have been asked to make backend technical modifications to ensure these booking windows automatically. The clampdown on middlemen would drastically enhance Tatkal availability for solo passengers.
Why new Tatkal ticket rules are introduced
As per Ministry of Railways officials, the primary reasons for the rule amendments are:
The ministry underlined the fact that such changes are in concordance with the national policy of "Digital India" and aid e-governance and transparency in public-facing services.
Also read | Booking Tatkal tickets on IRCTC? Aadhaar and OTP are a must from July 1; know how to book Tatkal ticket online on IRCTC through website and app
The shift, issued formally in a directive to all zonal railways on June 10, 2025, is a part of a larger effort to stem the rampant abuse of Tatkal tickets by unauthorized agents and bots. While Indian Railways has supported this step with an added Aadhaar-based OTP authentication level from July 15, 2025, to further robustify the booking process to benefit genuine last-minute travelers, the change is aimed to stem the rampant misuse of Tatkal tickets.
How to link Aadhaar to IRCTC account for Tatkal booking before the July 1 deadline
To be eligible to book Tatkal tickets after July 1, follow these steps to link your Aadhaar:
Pre-requisites:
- An active IRCTC account
- Your 12-digit Aadhaar number or Virtual ID
- A mobile phone linked with your Aadhaar to receive OTPs
Follow the steps below:
- Go to the official IRCTC website and log in with your credentials.
- Go to the 'My Account' page and select 'Authenticate User'.
- Provide your Aadhaar Number or Virtual ID.
- Press 'Verify Details'.
- You will receive an OTP on your registered mobile number.
- Provide the OTP and authenticate after accepting the consent.
- On successful authentication, a success message will be displayed.
How to add Aadhaar-verified passengers to your master list
To make Tatkal booking faster, IRCTC provides the facility to pre-add passengers to your Master List and get them Aadhaar-verified.
- Login to your IRCTC account and navigate to My Profile > Master List.
- Enter the passenger's name, date of birth, and gender just like it appears on the Aadhaar card.
Tip: Regularly update your Master List to prevent delays during peak Tatkal sessions.
New Tatkal rules effective from July 1, 2025
1. Aadhaar verification becomes mandatory
- From July 1, Tatkal tickets can be booked only by users who have validated their Aadhaar number with their IRCTC account.
- This will mean that the passengers cannot proceed with Tatkal booking unless their IRCTC account has been Aadhaar linked and is verified through an OTP.
2. More OTP-Based Aadhaar Authentication from July 15
- From July 15, even Aadhaar-authenticated users will be asked to perform an OTP-based authentication step associated with their Aadhaar number for every Tatkal booking.
- This additional layer is for the purpose of confirming that the user making the booking is the actual account holder and to avoid account abuse or automation-driven manipulation.
3. Restrictions for agents
To avoid bulk bookings and provide regular users with a reasonable opportunity:
- IRCTC agents will be prevented from booking Tatkal tickets within the first 30 minutes of the booking period.
- AC Class (1A, 2A, 3A): Agents prohibited from booking between 10:00 AM and 10:30 AM
- Non-AC Class (SL, 2S): Agents prohibited from booking between 11:00 AM and 11:30 AM
The Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) and IRCTC have been asked to make backend technical modifications to ensure these booking windows automatically. The clampdown on middlemen would drastically enhance Tatkal availability for solo passengers.
Why new Tatkal ticket rules are introduced
As per Ministry of Railways officials, the primary reasons for the rule amendments are:
- Stopping abuse of the Tatkal system by touts, bots, and unofficial agents.
- Making room for actual last-minute passengers through eliminating artificial ticket shortages.
- Improving online governance by combining Aadhaar-based identity verification with mainstream services.
- Developing an honest, transparent system where mass automated bookings do not hold back common users.
The ministry underlined the fact that such changes are in concordance with the national policy of "Digital India" and aid e-governance and transparency in public-facing services.
Also read | Booking Tatkal tickets on IRCTC? Aadhaar and OTP are a must from July 1; know how to book Tatkal ticket online on IRCTC through website and app
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