New rules for Railways’ Tatkal bookings offer transparency, lower risk of fraud
In a move aimed at improving transparency and curbing misuse of the Tatkal ticket booking facility, the Indian Railways has introduced new rules for booking that includes mandatory Aadhaar-based authentication and the use of a one-time password (OTP).
From July 1, passengers booking Tatkal tickets via the IRCTC website or mobile application will be required to use Aadhaar-based authentication. From July 15, the passengers will also need to feed an OTP for verification for all online Tatkal bookings.
All Tatkal bookings done physically at Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters and through authorised railway agents will also require OTP-based authentication. Passengers will receive an OTP on their registered mobile number, which must be submitted to complete the booking process.
The Railways believes the new rules will offer greater chances for genuine passengers to book tickets on time and check misuse of the reservation system by bots and agents. Enhanced identity verification through Aadhar and OTPs also lowers the probability of scams or fraud.
The Indian Railways is the world’s fourth largest, running over 13,000 trains daily and ferrying around 2.2 crore persons across 7,325 stations. The Tatkal scheme, implying “instant”, was started in 1997 to cater to the passengers travelling on short notice and to protect them against touts or unscrupulous agents.
A specific percentage of seats in each train are reserved for the Takal scheme. quota. Zonal Railways have been delegated the authority to fix the Tatkal quota in various classes by taking into account the availability of seats and the usage patterns.
The Tatkal quota, however, cannot exceed the 30 per cent of the capacity of the coach. According to the Railways statistics, on an average around 20 per cent of the seats or berths available each day are earmarked for Tatkal bookings.
Tatkal bookings are allowed in all classes except First AC. A person is allowed to book only two tickets per day from 8 am to 12 noon from a particular IP address and only a maximum of four passengers per PNR can be booked for Tatkal tickets. Tatkal tickets can be cancelled, but the fare paid is not refundable for confirmed tickets, except in cases where the ticket is wait-listed or if the train is delayed or due to other technical reasons for which the Railways is responsible.
The web services agents of IRCTC have been permitted to book only one Tatkal ticket per train per day on the internet. Agents will not be allowed to book Tatkal tickets during the first 30 minutes of opening the booking window so as to give a better chance to ordinary passengers.
The Ministry of Railways has also directed the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) and the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to implement the necessary system upgrades and coordinate with all Zonal Railways to ensure a smooth implementation of the new rules.
Under the new system, passengers will have to login to the IRCTC website while keeping their Aadhar number or card handy, and then choose the origin and destination stations, date of journey and travel class.
Under the quota head they will have to select Tatkal, pick a train and then click on the “book now” link. Thereafter, the passenger details and mobile number have to be entered along with a verification code. Following this, the passengers will receive an Aadhaar OTP on their registered mobile, which they will have to feed.
After checking the fare and confirming the relevant details, they can choose the payment method and complete the booking. On confirmation, they will receive an SMS with the ticket.
India