Increased surveillance: Railways tighten Aadhaar verification during train travel

Kannur: The Indian Railways has issued directives to strengthen Aadhaar verification procedures during train journeys. Ticket examiners have been instructed to use the mAadhaar mobile application for identity checks, marking a step towards enhanced passenger verification protocols.

This move follows the recent decision to mandate e-Aadhaar verification for booking Tatkal tickets. The new measures are also aimed at curbing impersonation and misuse of fake Aadhaar cards, which have been increasingly reported.

As part of the revised guidelines, Aadhaar credentials of catering staff and housekeeping personnel will also be subject to verification.

In cases where a ticket examiner suspects that an Aadhaar card might be forged, they are required to immediately alert the Railway Protection Force (RPF) or local police authorities.

Currently, ticket examiners have been advised to download the mAadhaar application from the Google Play Store, and the app will be made available on their official tablets. The mAadhaar app, developed by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), allows verification through features like QR code scanning, displaying key identity details such as Aadhaar number, name, and address.

The app functions even in offline mode, ensuring that identity verification is not hindered by poor connectivity during train journeys.