Central Government Employees Await DA Hike to 60% or 61% in 2026 Central government employees and pensioners are preparing for a potential Dearness Allowance (DA) increase that could significantly boost their salaries in 2026. Reports indicate the Union government is set to announce a DA hike of up to 2% soon, raising the current rate of 58% to either 60% or 61%. This adjustment is expected to provide a substantial financial uplift, particularly given recent inflation trends. The final decision will be made during an upcoming Union Cabinet meeting, with the revised DA taking effect from January 1, 2026, if approved. The DA, a component of government salaries, is designed to offset the impact of inflation and is revised every six months based on cost-of-living data. With inflation remaining elevated, even a modest 1% increase in DA could result in meaningful raises for millions of employees and pensioners. The hike is anticipated to benefit approximately 49 lakh central government employees and over 68 lakh pensioners nationwide. The exact percentage increase in DA will depend on the AICPI-IW data, which measures inflation. While a 2% hike to 60% is considered almost certain, some reports suggest a 3% increase could push the DA to 61%. This potential adjustment would have a broad impact across all salary levels. For example, an employee with a basic salary of ₹18,000 could see their take-home pay rise to nearly ₹28,800, while someone earning ₹29,200 might receive more than ₹46,000. Senior officials with a basic salary of ₹2.5 lakh could see their income exceed ₹4 lakh. These examples highlight how even small DA adjustments can significantly enhance purchasing power.#central_government #union_government #da_increase #pay_commission #cabinet_meeting
