New Delhi

Starting October 1, several important regulatory, banking, and service changes will affect bank customers, pension subscribers, train passengers, and postal service users across India.

RBI cheque clearing: The Reserve Bank of India will move from batch-based cheque processing to a continuous clearing system. The rollout will happen in two stages: the first from October 4, 2025, and the second from January 3, 2026, aiming to speed up cheque settlements.

Railway ticketing rules: The Indian Railways will implement new guidelines for general ticket bookings online through the IRCTC website and mobile app. From October 1, Aadhaar-authenticated users will follow updated booking rules designed to prevent misuse of the reservation system.

India Post Speed Post: India Post has revised Speed Post charges, with GST now displayed separately. Customers can opt for OTP-based delivery for added security. These changes are intended to make the service safer, more transparent, and user-friendly.

National Pension System (NPS) reforms: The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority has updated Central Recordkeeping Agency fees for NPS, NPS Lite, NPS Vatsalya, Atal Pension Yojana, and the Unified Pension Scheme, effective October 1. Non-government NPS subscribers can now invest up to 100% of contributions in equities and hold multiple schemes under a single PRAN across different agencies.

Additionally, Central Government employees have until September 30 to move from NPS to UPS. After this deadline, UPS enrollment will close, and existing UPS members must return to NPS before retirement if they wish.

These reforms are aimed at increasing efficiency, transparency, and flexibility in financial, postal, and railway services for all users.