Cost of 19 kg commercial gas cylinder rises by ₹16.50:Aadhaar mandatory for train general reservation, UPI money requests blocked; 5 major changes from October 1

From today, several key changes affecting everyday services and financial systems have come into effect, ranging from Aadhaar verification for train bookings to updated NPS rules. 1. Aadhaar mandatory for general reservation tickets Passengers booking general reservation tickets online on IRCTC will now need Aadhaar verification during the first 15 minutes of ticket sales. After this window, bookings can be made without Aadhaar. The change aims to curb black marketing and benefit common passengers. 2. UPI peer-to-peer requests disabled The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has stopped peer-to-peer collect requests on UPI from October 1. Individuals will no longer be able to request money from others via UPI, although merchants like Flipkart, Amazon, and Swiggy can continue collecting payments. This move aims to prevent frauds involving unsolicited payment requests. 3. Commercial gas cylinder prices hike The 19 kg commercial LPG cylinder has become costlier by up to ₹16.50. In Delhi, prices have risen by ₹15.50 to ₹1,595.50, while in Kolkata, the new price is ₹1,700.50. Domestic cylinder prices remain unchanged. 4. Speed Post service rates increase India Post has revised its Speed Post charges. New features include OTP-based delivery (₹5 + GST per item), real-time SMS delivery updates, and improved security. Students get a 10% discount, and bulk customers get 5% off. 5. NPS equity investment limit increased Non-government NPS subscribers can now invest their entire corpus in equities, up from the previous 75% cap. This change allows risk-taking investors the opportunity for higher returns and potentially larger retirement funds. No change in petrol, diesel prices These changes, effective from October 1, are expected to impact millions of Indians across travel, finance, and daily expenses.