Alert Travellers! IRCTC Makes Aadhaar Authentication Mandatory For Tatkal Ticket Booking Starting July 1, 2025

New Tatkal Ticket Booking Rules 2025: The Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is set to introduce a significant change to its Tatkal ticket booking system, effective from July 1, 2025. The railway ministry said in its circular, “With effect from 01-07-2025, tickets under Tatkal scheme can be booked through the website of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC)/ its app only by Aadhaar authenticated users. ” Indian Railways has made some big changes to how Tatkal tickets are booked. The goal is to make the process more transparent, prevent misuse, and ensure that real travelers get a fair chance to get their tickets.

Only Aadhaar Authenticated User Can Book Tatkal Tickets 

On June 10, 2025, the railway ministry sent out a circular to all zones, explaining that the new decision was made to improve how users are verified and to prevent any misuse of the scheme. The ministry said, “Effective 1st July 2025, Tatkal tickets booked through IRCTC’s (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited) official website and mobile app will be available only to users authenticated with Aadhaar. Aadhaar-based OTP authentication will become mandatory for Tatkal bookings made online starting 15th July 2025.”

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New Tatkal Ticket Booking Rules 

i) Starting July 1, 2025, only people who have linked and verified their Aadhaar with their IRCTC account will be able to book Tatkal tickets online through the official website or mobile app. This means passengers will need to connect their Aadhaar number to their IRCTC profile and complete the verification process to be able to purchase Tatkal tickets online.

ii) The circular also stated, “Tatkal tickets shall be available for booking through computerised PRS (Passenger Reservation System) counters of Indian Railways/authorised agents only after authentication of a system-generated OTP, which shall be sent through the system on the mobile number furnished by the users at the time of booking. This shall also be implemented by 15/07/2025,”

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iii) “For AC classes, this restriction applies from 10:00 am to 10:30 am, and for non-AC classes, from 11:00 am to 11:30 am”, as stated by the Press Information Bureau (Ministry of Railways). 

iv) To ensure a fair chance for all passengers, authorised ticketing agents of Indian Railways will not be allowed to book Tatkal tickets during the first 30 minutes of the booking opening. This restriction is to prevent bulk bookings and give regular travelers a better opportunity to secure their tickets during that initial rush.

IRCTC’s decision to implement Aadhaar authentication for Tatkal bookings is a significant step towards ensuring fairness and reducing malpractices in the railway ticketing system. 

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