Come October 1, passengers booking tickets via the IRCTC website or app between 8:00 AM and 8:15 AM (or the first 15 minutes of reservation opening) will need to authenticate their Aadhaar details.

However, Passenger Reservation System(PRS )counters will continue to function under existing rules without any additional Aadhaar requirement.

Authorised agents will still face the 10-minute restriction before they can book general reserved tickets on the opening day.

With this initiative, Indian Railways has reiterated its commitment to passenger-centric reforms, balancing accessibility with safeguards against system misuse.

This appears to be a significant step to ensure transparency and fair access for genuine passengers. 

With Aadhaar authentication becoming mandatory for booking general reserved train tickets through the IRCTC website or mobile app during the first 15 minutes of the reservation window, black marketing practiced by agents can be contained.

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