Official statutory medical concession certificate and IRCTC Divyangjan Photo Identity Card issued under Ministry of Railways rules and certified by a Government Civil Surgeon, enabling persons with benchmark disabilities and their accompanying escorts to avail 50% to 75% rail travel fare concessions across express and premium trains
While the physical medical certificate can be used at railway station PRS ticket booking counters, booking discounted concession tickets online via IRCTC mandates having the laminated Divyangjan Photo Identity Card issued by the DRM Commercial Division.
💡 The Indian Railways Disability Concession Certificate is a standardized medical form issued by a Government Civil Surgeon certifying that an individual has a qualified disability requiring travel concessions. When registered at the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) office, it yields a unique Divyangjan Photo Identity Card. This card allows disabled passengers and their escorts to receive 50% to 75% fare discounts in Sleeper, 3AC, 2AC, CC, and Chair Car coaches across Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Mail, and Express trains, bookable directly on IRCTC.
Differentiating nationwide train travel concessions from foundational disability ID and state road transport passes.
| Concession / Identity Document | Issuing Authority | Scope & Fare Concession | Jurisdiction & Mode of Transport |
|---|---|---|---|
| Railway Divyangjan Photo Identity Card | Indian Railways / DRM Divyangjan Card | 50% to 75% rail fare concession for disabled passengers and escorts on IRCTC and PRS counters | Valid across Indian Railways nationwide; requires specific DRM photo identity card for online IRCTC booking. |
| UDID Card (Unique Disability ID) | Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities | Foundational national biometric identification of disability percentage and category | Serves as medical disability proof; does not directly allow online IRCTC e-ticket booking without DRM registration. |
| State Road Transport (SRTC) Bus Pass | State Road Transport Corporation Concession Pass | 100% free or highly subsidized bus travel within state government public transport buses | Valid strictly on state roadways buses (KSRTC, MSRTC, UPSRTC, DTC, etc.); zero validity on Indian Railways. |
Medical concession certificate issued by Civil Surgeon within 1 to 3 days; DRM Office issues the laminated IRCTC Divyangjan Photo Identity Card within 10 to 20 working days.
Zero fees. 100% free statutory concession facility granted by Indian Railways.
Permanent disability of 40% or more certified by a Government District Medical Authority (Chief Medical Officer / Civil Surgeon) in the prescribed Indian Railways medical proforma; or patients undergoing active medical therapy at recognized cancer or specialty hospital institutions.
Persons with benchmark disabilities (Orthopedically handicapped/paraplegic, completely blind, totally deaf and dumb, mentally challenged) and patients suffering from severe medical conditions (cancer, thalassemia, hemophilia, heart surgery, tuberculosis) traveling on Indian Railways with or without an escort.
Download the specific Railway Medical Certificate format (Annexure A for Orthopedic, B for Blind, C for Deaf/Dumb, D for Mentally Challenged) and have it signed by the District CMO or Civil Surgeon.
Assemble attested photocopies of the signed railway certificate, UDID card, Aadhaar card, date of birth proof, and 4 passport-size photographs.
Submit the documents at the Commercial Branch / Senior Divisional Commercial Manager (Sr. DCM) office of your local Railway Division (or via state e-rail portals where active).
Railway commercial inspectors verify the authenticity of the Civil Surgeon's seal and UDID record from the issuing hospital.
The DRM office issues a laminated photo identity card containing a unique 11-digit Divyangjan Concession Card Number, valid for booking on IRCTC.
For temporary disabilities, the card is valid for 5 years (or up to age 35 for certain categories); submit a renewal form at the DRM office 3 months before expiration.
If a passenger's condition worsens requiring an escort, obtain an amended Civil Surgeon certificate stating 'Escort Mandatory' and update DRM records.
Submit a police lost report (NCR), copy of the original card, and ₹10 postal fee to the DRM commercial cell for a duplicate card.
Access https://www.irctc.co.in/ or the IRCTC Rail Connect app using your credentials.
Check the 'Person With Disability Concession' box when planning your train journey search.
Input your 11-digit DRM card number, card validity expiry date, and date of birth to validate discount eligibility.
The system applies 50% to 75% fare concession for the passenger and escort; download the e-ticket reflecting the concession code.
Resolving IRCTC portal authentication errors and processing lags at railway division offices.
| Issue Observed | Root Cause | Corrective Action |
|---|---|---|
| IRCTC shows 'Invalid Card Number or Card Expired' error | Date format or DRM division upload synchronization to CRIS server | Ensure date of birth matches DD/MM/YYYY exactly; if freshly issued, allow 7 working days for DRM office to sync records to the CRIS central server. |
| DRM office delays issuing physical card beyond 21 days | Pending verification letter dispatched to the hospital Civil Surgeon | Follow up with the hospital medical superintendent to expedite reply to the railway commercial inquiry letter. |
| Escort concession refused in 2AC or 3AC coach during booking | Concession rules for specific class of travel in Indian Railways circulars | Concession percentages vary by class (e.g., 75% in SL/3AC, 50% in 2AC/1AC); review the specific tariff table for your disability category. |
Yes. Cancer patients traveling for periodic medical checkups, chemotherapy, or surgery are granted 75% concession in 3AC and Sleeper class (and 100% in Sleeper class in certain conditions), with an accompanying escort receiving 75% concession upon presenting a certificate signed by the treating hospital oncologist.
For permanent disabilities where no improvement is medically possible, the concession certificate and DRM card are issued with lifetime validity. For temporary disabilities or progressive conditions, validity is generally restricted to 5 years, after which re-evaluation is required.
Yes. Indian Railways reserves a dedicated quota of lower berths in Sleeper, 3AC, and 3E classes for disabled passengers traveling on Divyangjan concessions, along with a middle/upper berth for their escort.
Yes. At railway station computerized reservation counters (PRS), you can produce the original prescribed Railway Concession Certificate and UDID card to book a concession ticket manually without having the DRM laminated card.
Official tariff schedules, prescribed medical certificate annexures, and eligibility rules.
Online booking integration guidelines, quota allotment rules, and e-ticket validation.
Official statutory medical certificate issued by a Registered Medical Practitioner (RMP) under National Medical Commission (NMC) regulations and Central Civil Services Leave Rules, certifying clinical diagnosis, mandatory convalescence rest, and subsequent medical fitness for resuming employment or academic duties
Official clinical synopsis and medico-legal document issued by hospitals upon completion of inpatient admission or surgery, detailing final diagnosis (ICD-10), clinical hospital course, surgical procedures performed, diagnostic findings, discharge medications, and mandatory documentation for health insurance cashless and reimbursement claim settlement
Official maternal and neonatal health passport issued jointly by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) and Ministry of Women & Child Development (MoWCD), tracking antenatal checkups (ANC), High-Risk Pregnancy (HRP) indicators, institutional delivery, Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) DBT grants, and infant immunization schedules up to five years of age
Official organ and tissue donation registration card issued by the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, documenting an individual's voluntary pledge to donate vital organs and tissues after death under the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act (THOTA 1994)
Unique Disability ID (UDID) portal, 21 RPwD Act disabilities, Medical Board CMO assessment & online PDF download
Governed by Ministry of Railways (Railway Board) Commercial Circulars and implemented across all Zonal and Divisional Railway Managers (DRMs).
Indian Railways / IRCTC Portal →