IRCTC Online Ticket Booking:
Indian Railways has introduced a major update for passengers who book tickets online. Starting from October 1, 2025, Aadhaar linking will be mandatory for general ticket booking on the IRCTC website and mobile app. This step has been taken to make ticket booking more transparent and reduce misuse.
According to the new guidelines, passengers must link their Aadhaar number with their IRCTC account to book general tickets online. Those who have not linked their Aadhaar will not be able to book tickets in the first 15 minutes after the booking opens. On the other hand, passengers with Aadhaar-linked accounts will get priority and can book tickets earlier.
It is important to note that this rule is only for online general ticket booking. For Tatkal tickets, Aadhaar linking is already compulsory. However, passengers booking tickets at railway counters can continue as before, since no changes have been made for counter bookings.
How to Link Aadhaar with IRCTC?
Linking Aadhaar is simple and can be done in a few steps:
1. Log in to the IRCTC website or mobile app with your username and password.
2. Go to the My Account section and select the Aadhaar linking option.
3. Enter your 12-digit Aadhaar number and click on Send OTP.
4. An OTP will be sent to the mobile number linked with Aadhaar. Enter the OTP and confirm.
5. Once verified, your Aadhaar will be successfully linked with your IRCTC account.
Why This Change?
The Indian Railways has introduced this rule mainly to stop duplicate ticket bookings and black marketing. With Aadhaar verification, only genuine passengers will be able to book tickets. This will help regular travelers get confirmed tickets more easily.
In short, Aadhaar linking will not only make the system more transparent but also give fair opportunities for all passengers to book tickets.
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