Starting October 1st, Aadhaar authentication has been made mandatory for the first 15 minutes of booking general reserved tickets online through the IRCTC website and app. This step has been taken to benefit common users and prevent misuse.
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From October 1, Aadhaar authentication has been made mandatory for booking general reservation tickets online through the IRCTC website and app during the first 15 minutes to ensure easy availability of tickets to common users.
The government has stated that this rule is a step taken to prevent misuse by unscrupulous individuals.
There is no change in the booking timings for general reservation tickets at the computerized PRS counters of Indian Railways.
There is no change in the 10-minute restriction on opening of general reservations at authorized ticket agents.
How the new rule will work
For example, if a rail passenger wants to book a ticket on the Shiv Ganga Express from New Delhi to Varanasi for November 15, the booking window will open at 12:20 am on September 16.
Between 12:20 am and 12:35 am, only users with Aadhaar-authenticated IRCTC accounts will be able to book tickets for this train. Without Aadhaar authentication, no bookings will be possible during this specific 15-minute window, when demand is typically very high.
Impact during Festivals and Wedding Season
Major festivals like Diwali, Chhath Puja, and Holi, as well as wedding season, see a huge surge in demand for train tickets, especially when the booking window opens 60 days before the travel date.
This creates stiff competition among passengers trying to secure tickets through regular booking, similar to the rush seen during Tatkal booking.
The new Aadhaar-based rule is expected to make the booking process more transparent and reduce fraudulent bookings during these busy times.
Aadhaar authentication is already mandatory for Tatkal bookings
This is not the first time Aadhaar authentication has been linked to train ticket booking. In July 2025, Indian Railways made Aadhaar-authenticated IRCTC accounts mandatory for passengers to book Tatkal tickets online.
Users without Aadhaar authentication were barred from booking Tatkal tickets through the IRCTC website and mobile app.
What passengers need to do:
Passengers are advised to link their Aadhaar numbers to their IRCTC accounts before October 1st to avoid inconvenience.
The general reservation booking window is open from 12:20 am to 11:45 pm every day and bookings open 60 days prior to the travel date.
The new rule will apply specifically to the first 15 minutes of the booking window, when demand for tickets is highest.
With these changes, the Railways aims to ensure a more secure and fair ticketing process for millions of passengers across India.
