The Ministry of Railways is overhauling the Tatkal ticket booking system to curb misuse and ensure genuine travellers get a fair chance. Soon, e-Aadhaar authentication will be mandatory for booking Tatkal tickets on the IRCTC platform.
Tatkal tickets—released a day before a train’s departure—are often snapped up within seconds by bots and agents, leaving legitimate passengers stranded. To address this, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that “Bharatiya Railways will soon start using e-Aadhaar authentication to book Tatkal tickets. This will help genuine users get confirmed tickets during need.“
The new policy will prioritize Aadhaar-verified users, giving them exclusive access to Tatkal booking in the first 10 minutes. IRCTC agents will be barred from booking tickets during this crucial window. Unverified users will face a three-day waiting period post-registration before they can book Tatkal, Premium Tatkal, or Opening ARP tickets.
Key Features of the New Tatkal Policy
- Priority Access: Aadhaar-authenticated users get first 10-minute access to Tatkal bookings
- Agent Restrictions: IRCTC agents blocked from early booking window
- Mandatory OTP-based Aadhaar authentication for all Tatkal transactions
- Possible Aadhaar checks for counter-based bookings to maintain parity
Cracking Down on Bots & Fraud
To tackle automation abuse, the Railways has ramped up anti-bot defenses and partnered with a major Content Delivery Network (CDN) to improve booking speeds and platform reliability. Bots previously accounted for nearly half of login attempts during Tatkal hours. Thanks to AI-driven monitoring, over 25 million suspicious accounts have been deactivated in the past six months.
On May 22, 2025, a record 31,814 Tatkal tickets were booked within a single minute, indicating stronger infrastructure. IRCTC now handles 8.2 million daily logins, up 20% from the previous year, with 86% of all reserved tickets booked online.
Aadhaar Powers a Secure System
With a recent Gazette notification, Aadhaar verification is now handled in-house for faster processing. Special verification drives will be launched to eliminate dubious accounts. Even railway staff—from ticket checkers to onboard crew—are now Aadhaar-authenticated.
A Faster, Safer Future
IRCTC has optimized performance by serving 87% of its static content via CDN. Passengers are urged to report fraud or booking issues via the Cyber Crime Portal.
If you’ve struggled with Tatkal bookings, this Aadhaar-powered upgrade could bring relief—just ensure your IRCTC account is verified. In the new system, identity is access.
