DA hike before Diwali 2026: How much extra salary could central government employees get if DA rises to 63%?

Central government employees could get a festive-season salary boost if the Centre approves a DA hike from 60% to 63%. Here’s how much extra monthly salary and July arrears employees could receive across different basic pay levels, and what remains unconfirmed.

Central government employees awaiting a dearness allowance (DA) hike could receive a higher monthly salary and arrears if the Centre approves the pending July 2026 revision before Diwali. A 3-percentage-point increase is expected to take DA from 60% to 63% of basic pay, although the government has yet to announce the revision officially.

With Diwali falling on 8 November, employees and pensioners are hoping for a festive-season announcement. The Union Cabinet did not announce the pending DA and Dearness Relief (DR) revision at its 14 October meeting, leaving the next decision uncertain.

For employees, the amount at stake depends on their basic pay. A 3-percentage-point increase would add ₹540 a month for someone drawing basic pay of ₹18,000, while an employee with basic pay of ₹56,100 would receive an additional ₹1,683 a month before deductions.

DA hike 2026: How much more salary could employees get?

DA is calculated as a percentage of basic pay. The current rate is 60%, following the Centre's approval of a 2-percentage-point increase effective from 1 January 2026. If the next revision takes DA to 63%, employees would receive an additional 3% of their basic pay every month.