IRCTC disables 3cr user IDs, flags 6cr; scales up AI-based kitchen monitoring

NEW DELHI: Stepping up efforts to address the struggle of passengers in booking confirmed tickets, IRCTC has deactivated over three crore suspicious user IDs and also placed another six crore under verification of authenticity to prevent misuse.

The railways’ catering and ticketing arm has also expanded its AI-based kitchen monitoring system across its network to deal with complaints about food hygiene and quality. Officials said more than 800 kitchens are now being monitored through 2,394 AI-enabled cameras that detect nine types of issues that are primarily responsible for unhygienic food in trains. These include head cap compliance, transparent gloves detection, mopping, wiping, rodent, flies and cockroach.

About crackdown on suspicious users booking tickets, officials said 501 complaints had been lodged on National Cyber Crime Portal pertaining to 4.2 lakh suspicious PNRs. It has also taken action against fraudulent digital identities by blocking 13,343 suspicious email domains during the year.

On monitoring kitchens, a senior IRCTC officer said the AI-enabled cameras can detect anything that is as small as the size of an ant (7-8 mm). Failure to wear head caps is the most common hygiene-related violation detected by AI systems.