Under the optional travel insurance scheme of Indian Railways, what is the approximate insurance cover provided to a passenger for a premium of just one rupee per journey?

Introduction / Context:
This question is from the area of Indian Railways and public policy relating to passenger safety and financial protection. In recent years, Indian Railways, through its online booking system, has offered extremely low cost travel insurance to passengers booking tickets, with a premium around one rupee. Examinations often test awareness of the amount of insurance cover provided under this scheme, because it reflects how a very small premium can provide relatively large financial protection in case of accidents.

Given Data / Assumptions:
The question states that the premium is one rupee and asks for the corresponding amount of insurance cover. The options given are:
- ₹ One lakh
- ₹ Fifty thousand
- ₹ Ten lakhs
- ₹ Five lakhs
It is assumed that candidates have read news or government notifications regarding the optional travel insurance scheme associated with e ticket bookings on Indian Railways and the approximate level of financial protection offered to passengers.

Concept / Approach:
The key concept is to remember the headline figure associated with this scheme. For a very small premium (around one rupee), passengers receive coverage that can go up to ten lakh rupees in case of death or total permanent disability arising from a train accident or specified untoward incidents. The other amounts in the options are significantly lower and do not match the main advertised sum insured. Therefore, recognising that the scheme is often described as providing up to ten lakh rupees of cover helps directly identify the correct option.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the features of the optional travel insurance made available when booking train tickets online through the railway booking portal. Step 2: Remember that the biggest attraction of the scheme is the very high coverage in case of death or total permanent disability compared to the tiny premium. Step 3: Note that government communications and newspaper reports often quote the figure of ten lakh rupees as the maximum coverage for the most serious outcomes. Step 4: Compare this figure with the amounts listed in the options: one lakh, fifty thousand, ten lakhs, and five lakhs. Step 5: Choose ₹ Ten lakhs as the correct answer because it matches the widely publicised sum insured under the one rupee travel insurance scheme.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify this, a candidate can recall sample statements from articles on this topic, which commonly mention that the scheme offers up to ten lakh rupees for death or total disability, seven and a half lakh rupees for partial disability, and smaller amounts for medical expenses and other benefits. The key figure that appears in headlines is the ten lakh rupee coverage linked to roughly one rupee premium on confirmed tickets. Since none of the other options reflect this high coverage that makes the scheme remarkable, this alternative recall further confirms that the correct answer is ten lakhs.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
₹ One lakh: This amount is too low and does not match the advertised headline coverage of the scheme.
₹ Fifty thousand: This is even lower and is not associated with the main benefits of the railway travel insurance scheme.
₹ Five lakhs: Although higher than the previous options, it still falls short of the commonly cited figure of ten lakh rupees for the principal cover.

Common Pitfalls:
Many learners underestimate the coverage because they expect the sum insured to be close to the premium, so they choose a lower figure like one lakh or five lakhs. Another pitfall is mixing this scheme with other smaller accident insurance policies that some banks or wallet services offer. To avoid confusion, remember that the uniqueness of the railway travel insurance scheme lies in providing a very large cover of up to ten lakh rupees for a tiny premium of around one rupee per passenger per journey.

Final Answer:
Under the one rupee optional travel insurance scheme of Indian Railways, the insurance cover provided to a passenger is up to ₹ Ten lakhs.