IRCTC Overhauls Booking: Aadhaar Priority, Faster Chart Preparation

• Aadhaar-verified users get priority for IRCTC online ticket bookings on the first day of Advance Reservation Period.
• Initial priority window (Dec 29): 8 am-noon; extends to 4 pm (Jan 5) and midnight (Jan 12).
• This move aims to prioritize genuine passengers over agents; Tatkal scheme already requires Aadhaar authentication.
• Changes apply only to online bookings via IRCTC website/app, not manual PRS counter bookings.
• Indian Railways revised chart preparation to 10 hours before departure, a significant improvement from 4 hours.

Why It Matters: IRCTC prioritizes Aadhaar users for online bookings and Indian Railways speeds up chart preparation.