In order to reduce fraudulent practices, Indian Railways has terminated around 2.4 crore IRCTC accounts in the last six months because of discrepancies detected through AI technology. The primary focus was on accounts used by customers to book Tatkal and Premium Tatkal tickets through bots.
The Reason For Account Terminations
As online tools become increasingly available that perform automatic booking, railways started keeping track of the users who are using these types of bots for the purpose of mischief. This meant that legit passengers began having trouble booking their tickets, and to stop it, they created an AI monitoring system to monitor irregular accounts, focusing primarily on accounts that do not have Aadhaar verification.
What Should Users do
Right now, out of 13 crore IRCTC users, only 1.2 crore accounts have been verified by Aadhaar. To prevent account blocking, users should verify their IRCTC account with their Aadhaar as soon as possible. Non-verified accounts could be blocked, and to keep your account safe from a block, users should verify their accounts with Aadhaar.
Aadhaar verification is mandatory for Tatkal ticket booking, now, Indian Railways has mandated Aadhaar verification which is linked to the IRCTC, and any users with an account linked to Aadhaar can ensure they have 10 minutes of exclusive booking time, avoiding competition against automated bots and unauthorised agents.
How To Link Your IRCTC Account To Aadhaar?
First, go to the IRCTC website
Log in to the account using your username and password.
Now go to the ‘My Account’ section.
Click on ‘Link Your Aadhaar’ option
Fill in your Aadhaar number, and name
Fill in the OTP received on your registered mobile number.