Indian Railways offers special concessions for students, 10 things you should know
HIGHLIGHTS
*College going girls can avail free train travel up to graduation
*Boys and madrasa students can avail free train travel up to Class XII
*Special concessions are offered for students doing research
Indian Railways offers handsome discount on ticket fares to students travelling for certain purposes. These concessions are offered under certain categories.
Students studying away from home or going out for research are offered special concessions. These concessions may range from 25 per cent discount in ticket fare to free of cost travel by the railways.
RAILWAYS DISCOUNTS ON OFFER FOR STUDENTS: THINGS TO KNOW
1. Indian Railways offers free-of-cost travel facility to school- and college-going girls on MST (monthly season ticket) of general class. This concession can be availed by girls up to graduation. Boys can avail free travel on general class MST in Indian Railways up to Class XII. The facility of free-of-cost travel in the trains on general class MST is also available to the students of registered madrasas.
2. Students studying in government schools in rural areas are entitled to a 75 per cent discount on train tickets if they are travelling for their entrance exams. This concession is available only on general-class train travel.
3. Students travelling to take main written examinations conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and Central Staff Selection Commission can apply for a 50 per cent concession in train fares. The discount is available for only general-class travel in trains.
4. Students living away from home are entitled to discounted tickets in trains to visit their hometown. The same facility is available for educational tours undertaken by students. Under this facility, the general category students are entitled to 50 per cent discount on sleeper-class tickets. Those having MST or QST (quarterly season ticket) can also avail 50 per cent discount.
5. Students belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) categories are entitled to 75 per cent discount on sleeper-class tickets as well as on MST and QST.
6. There are special concessions for students undertaking research. Indian Railways offers discount of 50 per cent on travel tickets for undertaking research work by students up to 35 years of age. This discount is available on tickets of sleeper class.
7. If a student is going to participate in a work-camp, he/she is entitled to a discount of 25 per cent on sleeper-class tickets.
8. Similarly, students enrolled in government schools in rural areas can get a concession of 75 per cent on general-class train tickets for study tour once in a year.
9. Foreign students studying in India are entitled to a discount of 50 per cent on sleeper-class train tickets if they are travelling to attend a camp or seminar organised by the Government of India. The same discount is also offered for travelling to historical places during vacations.
10. Indian Railways offers 50 per cent concession to cadets and marine engineer apprentice going for mercantile marine navigational or engineering training. This concession is available for the round-trip of the training programme.