Concessions
1. Introduction
Indian Railways grants concessions (fare reductions) to 50+ categories of passengers under the Concession Rules, 1962 (last updated 31-12-2022). Concessions are admissible in Mail/Express/Passenger/Rajdhani/Shatabdi/Duronto/Gatimaan/Vande Bharat trains on basic fare only; other charges (GST, superfast, reservation, catering) are payable in full.
2. Technical Definitions
- Concession value: percentage discount on Basic Fare (rounded off to next lower multiple of ₹ 5).
- Concession code: 2-digit numeric code printed in the left-hand margin of the ticket.
- Authority: Ministry of Railways (Railway Board) under Section 59 of the Railways Act, 1989.
- Concession quota: CONCESSION (CC) – no separate berth/seat earmarked; adjusted in the same class.
- Smartphone e-ticket: allowed for all concessional tickets w.e.f. 01-04-2023 (IRCTC ver. 7.2).
3. Major Categories & Specifications (2023-24)
| Sl. | Category | Concession % | Age/Condition | Certificate Needed | REMARK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Senior Citizen – Men | 40 % | ≥ 60 yrs | Aadhaar/Photo ID | Auto-popup in PRS |
| 2 | Senior Citizen – Women | 50 % | ≥ 58 yrs | -do- | Separate counter at PRS |
| 3 | Divyangjan (Orthopedic, CP, Acid-attack, Autism, Blind, Deaf & dumb, Dwarfism, Muscular dystrophy) | 75 % | ≥ 40 % disability | UDID card/Disability cert. | One escort at 75 % |
| 4 | Cancer patients | 100 % | All ages | B-1/B-2 cert. from Govt. hosp. | One escort at 75 % |
| 5 | Thalassemia / Hemophilia / Sickle-cell | 100 % | -do- | -do- | -do- |
| 6 | Heart patients (post-surgery) | 75 % | ≤ 1 yr of surgery | Cardiologist cert. | -do- |
| 7 | Kidney patients (on dialysis) | 100 % | - | Nephrologist cert. | -do- |
| 8 | Aplastic Anaemia | 100 % | - | Oncologist cert. | -do- |
| 9 | Press correspondents | 50 % | Accredited | PIB card | AC-2/SL only |
| 10 | National award winners (Padma, Gallantry) | 50 % | - | Photo ID + award letter | Lifetime |
| 11 | War widows (Veera Naris) | 75 % | - | Zila Sainik Board cert. | All classes |
| 12 | Students | 50 % | General edn. | Bonafide cert. | Season ticket 25 % |
| 13 | Research scholars | 50 % | - | -do- | 2 sets/year |
| 14 | Gandhi Peace / Satyagraha pensioners | 75 % | - | Pension order | - |
| 15 | Martyrs of Kargil | 100 % | - | - | Entire family |
| 16 | Shram Awardees | 75 % | - | Labour Ministry cert. | - |
| 17 | Para-military & Police medal winners | 50 % | - | MHA cert. | - |
| 18 | IPSC shooters participating in intl. meet | 50 % | - | Nodal Ministry cert. | - |
| 19 | Patients of Lymphoma / Leukemia | 100 % | - | Oncologist cert. | - |
| 20 | Acid-attack victims | 75 % | ≥ 40 % disability | - | - |
Note: Only ONE type of concession is admissible per passenger; no double concession.
4. Historical Milestones
- 1950: First concession – 50 % for blind passengers (Railway Board Order 445-O).
- 1956: Student concession introduced @ 33 %.
- 1962: Concession Rules, 1962 framed; 10 categories.
- 1972: Separate 50 % for women senior citizens ≥ 60 yrs (later reduced to 58 yrs).
- 1998: IRCTC allowed to issue concessional e-tickets for senior citizens.
- 2006: 75 % concession for cancer & 100 % for Kargil martyrs introduced.
- 2016: Divyangjan term adopted; concession raised to 75 % (earlier 50 %).
- 2021: UDID (Unique Disability ID) made mandatory for new Smart-cards.
- 2022: Paper-based disability certificates phased out; QR-coded UDID accepted.
- 2023: Vande Bharat & Gatimaan trains brought under concession net (earlier excluded).
5. Current Status & Recent Updates (as on 01-01-2024)
- 100 % concession for transgender students (announced 05-06-2023) – under process for gazette notification.
- Senior citizen concession restored to pre-covid level (earlier withdrawn during COVID-19).
- Automatic verification of UDID through API integration with DEPwD server live in 700+ PRS counters.
- Concession not admissible in:
- Anubhuti class
- Bharat Gaurav tourist trains
- Charter/special trains booked by tour operators
- Suvidha trains (except Divyangjan 75 %)
- GST @ 5 % on concessional fare is calculated on discounted basic fare (w.e.f. 01-10-2022).
- Tatkal & Premium Tatkal tickets – concession allowed only for Divyangjan, cancer, kidney, thalassemia, martyrs’ families.
- Season tickets (Monthly/Quarterly): only 25 % concession for students; no other category.
- Concession certificate must be in English/Hindi; if in regional language, self-attested translation required.
- Digital certificate (Digilocker) accepted at all counters & IRCTC.
- Refund rules: if ticket cancelled, concession is forfeited; only passenger fare (after concession) is refunded as per normal rules.
6. Procedure & Document Checklist
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Produce original + 1 photocopy of eligibility certificate. |
| 2 | Concession code entered by JT/CT (Booking clerk) in COFT screen of PRS. |
| 3 | Certificate serial number & issuing authority captured in REMARKS column. |
| 4 | Divyangjan escort details entered in EWL (Escort Wheelchair) field. |
| 5 | Digital verification: UDID QR code scanned through NIC QR-reader app (Android). |
7. Abbreviations
- UDID: Unique Disability ID
- COFT: Concession Fare Table (PRS module)
- DEPwD: Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities
- PIB: Press Information Bureau
- ZSB: Zila Sainik Board
8. Practice MCQs
Q1. What is the concession percentage for women senior citizens in Indian Railways?
A. 25 %
B. 40 %
C. 50 %
D. 75 %
Q2. A Divyangjan passenger with 60 % disability is entitled to a concession of
A. 25 %
B. 40 %
C. 50 %
D. 75 %
Q3. Which of the following trains do not allow any concession?
A. Vande Bharat
B. Gatimaan
C. Anubhuti class
D. Duronto
Q4. The concession for cancer patients is
A. 50 %
B. 75 %
C. 90 %
D. 100 %
Q5. Minimum age for men senior citizen concession is
A. 55 yrs
B. 58 yrs
C. 60 yrs
D. 62 yrs
Q6. Which certificate is mandatory for availing Divyangjan concession from 01-01-2023?
A. Disability certificate from any doctor
B. UDID card
C. Aadhaar card
D. BPL card
Q7. Concession is calculated on which component of fare?
A. Total fare including GST
B. Basic fare only
C. Superfast surcharge
D. Catering charge
Q8. A transgender student is eligible for concession of
A. 25 %
B. 50 %
C. 75 %
D. 100 % (notification under process)
Q9. How many concessional tickets are allowed for a research scholar in a calendar year?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 4
D. 6
Q10. Escort concession for Divyangjan is
A. 25 %
B. 50 %
C. 75 %
D. 100 %
Q11. Concession code is printed in which part of the ticket?
A. Top right corner
B. Left-hand margin
C. Back side
D. PNR line
Q12. Which disease gets 100 % concession?
A. Diabetes
B. Hypertension
C. Thalassemia
D. Asthma
Q13. Season ticket concession for students is
A. 10 %
B. 25 %
C. 50 %
D. 75 %
Q14. Senior citizen concession was withdrawn during
A. 2018
B. 2019
C. 2020 (COVID-19)
D. 2021
Q15. Which of the following is not required while booking a senior citizen e-ticket?
A. Aadhaar verification
B. Photo ID proof
C. Income certificate
D. Age proof
Q16. GST on concessional fare is calculated on
A. Full basic fare
B. Discounted basic fare
C. Total fare
D. Convenience fee
Q17. The concession for Kargil martyrs’ family was introduced in
A. 1998
B. 2001
C. 2006
D. 2011
Answers
Q1-C, Q2-D, Q3-C, Q4-D, Q5-C, Q6-B, Q7-B, Q8-D, Q9-B, Q10-C, Q11-B, Q12-C, Q13-B, Q14-C, Q15-C, Q16-B, Q17-C
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