Railways has further tightened its Tatkal ticketing system, making Aadhaar-OTP verification mandatory on IRCTC, and deactivating approximately 30.2 million fake accounts. Learn how to keep your IRCTC account safe.
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Railways Changed Big Rule of Train Ticket Booking: Indian Railways has implemented a new Aadhaar-OTP-based system to make train ticket booking more transparent and secure. Under this, Aadhaar-OTP verification has been made mandatory on the ticket booking site or app when booking Tatkal tickets, so that only genuine users can access the ticketing system. Learn how you can protect your IRCTC account from being banned and book Tatkal or general tickets with ease.
Aadhaar-OTP Verification Now Mandatory
When booking instant or regular tickets, an OTP sent to the mobile number linked to Aadhaar will now be mandatory; without confirmation, the booking process will not proceed. This measure is already implemented on 322 trains and is gradually being rolled out to the rest of the network. Thanks to Aadhaar-OTP, the system now verifies the identity of each user, reducing the impact of bots and fake users and improving the time taken to receive confirmed tickets for genuine passengers.
Nearly 30.2 million fake accounts deactivated
According to the Railways Minister’s statement, approximately 30.2 million suspicious/fake IRCTC accounts have been deactivated. This database cleanup is a major step in the history of the ticketing system. Now, let’s explain how to keep your IRCTC account safe:
IRCTC Account Security: Learn how to protect your account
Booking tickets on IRCTC is now easy, but your personal security and account integrity are just as important. Follow the steps below:
1. Link Aadhaar and Verify OTP
Be sure to verify the link and OTP. If this isn’t set, you may encounter difficulties during Tatkal or regular bookings. Linking your IRCTC account to Aadhaar is quite easy, and the entire process takes two minutes. First, log in to your IRCTC account and go to the ‘My Account’ section, where you’ll find the ‘Aadhaar KYC’ or ‘Link Aadhaar’ option. Clicking on this option will prompt the website for your Aadhaar number. Upon entering the number, an OTP will be sent to your registered mobile number. Submitting this will complete your Aadhaar verification. Upon successful verification, the account’s KYC status will appear as ‘Verified,’ and your IRCTC profile will be linked to Aadhaar. Linking Aadhaar not only secures your account, but also allows you to book up to 12 tickets per month.
2. Strong Passwords and 2-Step Security
Don’t use weak passwords on any platform. Use a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols, rather than short and common words. If IRCTC offers multi-factor authentication or two-step verification, enable it.
3. Monitor account activity
If you receive an unknown IP address or a suspicious login notice, change your password immediately. Also, regularly check your login history and booked tickets.
4. Don’t share your OTP and credentials.
Only use the OTP from the official IRCTC portal or app, and don’t share it with anyone. This is your authentication key.
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