TrainsDateStudent Concession Pass on Indian Railways: Rates & How to Apply
Indian Railways offers genuinely substantial fare discounts to bonafide students — but the process is entirely counter-based, not something you can access through the standard IRCTC e-ticket flow.
Discount Rates by Category
| Category | Discount |
|---|---|
| General category students (home ↔ institution, Second/Sleeper class) | 50% on base fare |
| SC/ST category students | 75% on base fare |
| Girls up to graduation / boys up to Class 12 (MST, general class, home ↔ school) | Free (MST — Monthly Season Ticket) |
| Government rural school students, educational tours | 75% in Second Class, once a year |
| UPSC/Central SSC exam candidates (main written exam) | 50% in Second Class |
The discount applies only to the base fare — reservation charges and superfast surcharges aren't discounted, and it's excluded on premium trains (Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Vande Bharat, Gatimaan, Duronto).
Eligible Journey Types
This isn't a general-purpose discount for any student trip — it applies specifically to defined categories like travel between home and your educational institution, educational tours, or travel to sit a specific exam. Casual travel or something unrelated to your studies (like a job interview) doesn't qualify.
How to Apply
- Get a Student Concession Form from your school/college administrative office.
- Have it filled, signed and stamped by your institution's principal or head of department, confirming your bonafide student status and the purpose of travel.
- Take the stamped form, along with your student ID, to a railway reservation counter.
- The counter clerk verifies and issues your ticket at the discounted fare.
Why You Can't Book This Online
Student concession tickets are only issued as i-tickets or counter tickets — not e-tickets — because the physical concession form needs to be verified in person at the point of booking. This is a genuine limitation worth planning around, since it means arriving at a counter with your paperwork rather than booking from home.
Monthly Season Ticket (MST) for Daily Commuters
Students who travel daily between home and their institution can apply for an MST — a monthly pass allowing unlimited travel on that route in general class, free for eligible girls (up to graduation) and boys (up to Class 12), and discounted for other student categories.
Practical Tip
Since this requires an in-person counter visit with physical documents, build in extra time before travel — this isn't a same-day online booking, and concession forms typically need fresh certification from your institution each time you renew.
Useful tools: IRCTC booking date calculator · advance reservation period (ARP)