GEN class is MUCH MORE IMPORTANT than SL class for India.7SL/4GEN will be MUCH BETTER than 8SL/3 GEN, for crowded routes. one will realize this if one undertakes at least 1 long distance journey in GEN coach as a Experience Travel.
GEN passengers realize that there is no space for them only after buying a ticket after coming to the station & seeing the huge crowd. SL passengers on other hand, can check the availability of vacancies just by checking online availability of tickets while ticket booking. Several SL travelers actually take...
more... higher AC class ticket if SL not available, & several can afford it too. If one can't afford, travel with thousands of GEN passengers who can't afford too.