In a significant move to curb illegal booking and hoarding of train tickets, Indian Railways has announced that, effective July 1, 2025, only Aadhaar-authenticated users will be able to book Tatkal tickets online via the IRCTC website and mobile app. Further strengthening security, Aadhaar-based OTP authentication will become mandatory for all online Tatkal bookings starting July 15, 2025. Similar OTP authentication will also be required for Tatkal bookings at PRS counters and through authorized agents from July 15. These measures follow a major crackdown in which 24 million user accounts were blocked and 2 million flagged as suspicious, as the Railways aims to ensure fair access and reduce misuse of the Tatkal scheme. Passengers are urged to link their Aadhaar with their IRCTC accounts and update their mobile numbers to avoid disruptions in booking.