Indian Railways Deactivates 3.02 Crore Fake IDs & Launches Aadhaar OTP – Tatkal Tickets Now Easier!

In a major crackdown on touts, bots and illegal ticket booking agents, Indian Railways has deactivated a staggering 3.02 crore suspicious user accounts on the IRCTC website since January 2025, Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the Lok Sabha today.

Disclosing comprehensive measures to make train ticket booking fairer and more secure, the Minister described the railway reservation system as “one of the world’s most robust and highly protected IT platforms,” fortified with state-of-the-art cyber security controls and continuous monitoring by CERT-In and the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC).

Key initiatives that have transformed Tatkal and general booking experience include:

• Deployment of world-class anti-bot solutions such as AKAMAI that instantly filter out automated scripts and non-genuine users, ensuring genuine passengers face less competition and faster booking.
• Introduction of mandatory Aadhaar-based OTP verification for Tatkal bookings. As of 4 December 2025, this system is live for online Tatkal booking in 322 trains and at reservation counters for 211 trains. The phased rollout has already delivered dramatic results — confirmed Tatkal tickets are now available for significantly longer periods in 65% of these 322 trains.
• In 96 of India’s most popular and high-demand trains, confirmed Tatkal ticket availability time has increased in an impressive 95% of cases, giving ordinary travellers a much better chance during peak seasons.

To further tighten the noose around touts, suspicious PNRs are being flagged and complaints are regularly lodged on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.

On the cyber-security front, the IRCTC platform is protected by multiple layers of defence:

• Network firewalls
• Intrusion prevention systems
• Web application firewalls
• Application delivery controllers
• End-to-end encryption

The entire system is hosted in a dedicated, access-controlled, CCTV-monitored data centre certified under the stringent ISO 27001 Information Security Management System (ISMS) standard. RailTel Corporation now provides round-the-clock cyber threat intelligence, dark web surveillance, digital risk protection and rapid take-down services against malicious entities.

Regular security audits are conducted by CERT-In-empanelled agencies, while internet traffic to the ticketing portal is continuously monitored to pre-empt and neutralise cyber attacks.

Minister Vaishnaw emphasised that public suggestions and complaints received from MPs, rail users and organisations are examined on an ongoing basis, and feasible improvements are implemented without delay.

“With over 10–12 lakh tickets booked every day on IRCTC, ensuring fairness and security is non-negotiable. These measures have broken the backbone of tout networks and restored trust of the common passenger,” the Minister stated.

The impact is already visible: longer Tatkal availability windows, fewer “booking failed” messages for genuine users, and a cleaner, safer online booking ecosystem as the festive and year-end travel rush begins.

Indian Railways has sent out a clear message — technology and vigilance will continue to make train travel more accessible and equitable for every Indian.