With effect from July 1, Tatkal tickets purchased via IRCTC’s official website and mobile app will only be accessible to individuals who have successfully authenticated with Aadhaar, the Ministry of Railways declared on Wednesday.
Furthermore, starting on July 15, online Tatkal reservations would require Aadhaar-based OTP authentication.

OTP authentication will be delivered to the mobile number the user provided at the time of booking for Tatkal tickets purchased through authorized agents and at computerized Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters. Additionally, this clause will take effect on July 15.

Authorized Indian Railways ticketing agencies will not be allowed to purchase opening-day Tatkal tickets during the first half hour of the booking window in order to avoid large reservations during the crucial opening period.

This restriction is in effect from 10 to 10.30 a.m. for AC sessions and from 11 to 11.30 a.m. for non-AC classes.

According to the official statement, these modifications are being made to increase Tatkal booking transparency and guarantee that the program’s advantages are received by actual end users.

The IRCTC and CRIS (Centre for Railway Information Services) have been directed to update the system as needed and notify the Zonal Railways and relevant departments.

In order to prevent any inconvenience, the Ministry of Railways has asked all passengers to be aware of these changes and to make sure that their IRCTC user profiles are linked to their Aadhaar accounts.

The actions are being taken to protect the interests of actual passengers and to provide equitable and transparent access to Tatkal tickets. According to the announcement, the modifications will improve user authentication and lessen scheme abuse.

In an effort to combat the abuse of Tatkal reservations, Indian Railways found and deactivated 2.5 crore phony IDs and reported an additional 20 lakh for revalidation. It was discovered that some of these accounts were hoarding tickets and selling them at exorbitant prices using disposable email addresses.

AI-driven technologies are being utilized by IRCTC to track and identify bot activity, which was being used by touts to purchase tickets in bulk and then demand exorbitant prices from actual travelers.