DA hike latest: current rate and history
Central government employees receive 60% Dearness Allowance on basic pay, effective 1 January 2026. This page lists every DA revision under the 7th Pay Commission since 2016, with links to the orders.
Current DA rate
60%
of basic pay, from 1 January 2026
Cabinet approval: 18 April 2026. PIB. Department of Expenditure order: 1/1(i)/2026-E.II(B) dated 22.04.2026.
On a Level 6 basic pay of ₹35,400 that is ₹21,240 a month.
Pensioners and family pensioners receive Dearness Relief (DR) at the same rate as DA, on basic pension including additional pension. PIB release on the 60% DA and DR increase.
Next instalment
As of 26 October 2026: The DA instalment due from 1 Jul 2026 had not been announced as of 26 Oct 2026. No DoE OM and no PIB Cabinet release was found. Secondary sites project 63%, but that is unverified. 60% stays the current rate until the DoE order is published. assumption A11
Our calculators keep using 60% until an order is published.
DA rate history, newest first
Each row is a revision under the 7th CPC pay structure. DA restarted at 0% on 1 January 2016.
| Effective from | DA rate | Change | Announced | Order (DoE OM) | Cabinet release (PIB) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2026 | 60% | +2 | 18 April 2026 | 1/1(i)/2026-E.II(B) dated 22.04.2026 | 18 April 2026 |
| 1 July 2025 | 58% | +3 | 1 October 2025 | 1/4(i)/2025-E.II(B) dated 06.10.2025 | 1 October 2025 |
| 1 January 2025 | 55% | +2 | 28 March 2025 | 1/1(1)/2025-E.II(B) dated 02.04.2025 | 28 March 2025 |
| 1 July 2024 | 53% | +3 | 16 October 2024 | 1/5/2024-E.II(B) dated 21.10.2024 (as cited in DoE OM 1/1(1)/2025-E.II(B) dated 02.04.2025) | 16 October 2024 |
| 1 January 2024 | 50% | +4 | 7 March 2024 | 1/1/2024-E-II(B) dated 12.03.2024 (secondary report only) | 7 March 2024 |
| 1 July 2023 | 46% | +4 | 18 October 2023 | 1/4/2023-E-II(B) dated 20.10.2023 (secondary report only) | 18 October 2023 |
| 1 January 2023 | 42% | +4 | 24 March 2023 | 1/1/2023-E-II(B) dated 03.04.2023 | 24 March 2023 |
| 1 July 2022 | 38% | +4 | 28 September 2022 | 1/3/2022-E-II(B) dated 03.10.2022 | 28 September 2022 |
| 1 January 2022 | 34% | +3 | 30 March 2022 | 1/2/2022-E-II(B) dated 31.03.2022 | 30 March 2022 |
| 1 July 2021 | 31% | +14 | 21 October 2021 | 1/4/2021-E-II(B) dated 25.10.2021 | 21 October 2021 |
| 1 July 2021 | 28% | superseded by 31% | 14 July 2021 | 1/1/2020-E-II(B) dated 20.07.2021 | 14 July 2021 |
| 1 January 2020 | 17% | frozen | 23 April 2020 | 1/1/2020-E-II(B) dated 23.04.2020 | No PIB release found |
| 1 July 2019 | 17% | +5 | 9 October 2019 | 1/3/2019-E-II(B) dated 14.10.2019 | 9 October 2019 |
| 1 January 2019 | 12% | +3 | 19 February 2019 | 1/1/2019-E-II(B) dated 27.02.2019 | 19 February 2019 |
| 1 July 2018 | 9% | +2 | 29 August 2018 | 1/2/2018-E-II(B) dated 07.09.2018 | 29 August 2018 |
| 1 January 2018 | 7% | +2 | 7 March 2018 | 1/1/2018-E-II(B) dated 15.03.2018 | 7 March 2018 |
| 1 July 2017 | 5% | +1 | 20 September 2017 | 1/9/2017-E-II(B) dated 20.09.2017 | No PIB release found |
| 1 January 2017 | 4% | +2 | 15 March 2017 | 1/3/2017-E-II(B) dated 30.03.2017 | 15 March 2017 |
| 1 July 2016 | 2% | +2 | 4 November 2016 | 1/2/2016-E-II(B) dated 04.11.2016 | No PIB release found |
| 1 January 2016 | 0% | start | 4 November 2016 | 1/2/2016-E-II(B) dated 04.11.2016, para 2 | No PIB release found |
The COVID freeze, 2020 to 2021
DA was frozen at 17% from 1 January 2020 to 30 June 2021 (order of 23 April 2020). The instalments that would have fallen due on 1 January 2020, 1 July 2020 and 1 January 2021 were not paid, and no arrears were paid for the freeze period. The row for 1 January 2020 therefore shows no change.
From 1 July 2021 DA was restored at 28%, and the Cabinet then raised it to 31% from the same date. The 28% row is struck through because the 31% order replaced it.
How DA is announced
DA is revised with effect from 1 January and 1 July each year. The Union Cabinet approves the new instalment, and the Department of Expenditure then issues an Office Memorandum with the rate. Pensioners’ DR follows through a separate order.
The announcement can come weeks or months after the effective date. The 60% rate took effect on 1 January 2026 and was approved by the Cabinet on 18 April 2026, which is why the table shows both dates.
Why DA restarts with a new pay commission
When the 7th CPC pay structure began on 1 January 2016, DA on the new pay was 0%. The 125% DA then being paid was absorbed into the Pay Matrix, and DA started again from zero. The Commission described the 2.57 factor this way:
Accordingly, basic pay at any level on 01.01.2016 (pay in the pay band + grade pay) would need to be multiplied by 2.57 to fix the pay of an employee in the new pay structure. Of this multiple, 2.25 provides for merging of basic pay with DA, assumed at 125 percent on 01.01.2016, while the balance is the real increase being recommended by the Commission. The real increase works out to 14.2 percent (2.57/2.25 = 1.1429).
Department of Expenditure order of 4 November 2016: DA zero from 1 January 2016
Will DA be merged for the 8th CPC?
In the Lok Sabha on 1 December 2025 the Government said no proposal to merge DA with basic pay is under consideration at present.
Lok Sabha reply, 1 December 2025 (text via staffnews.in)
Staff-side bodies (the Confederation and NC-JCM) have demanded 20% interim relief and a 50% DA merger from 1 January 2026. No official announcement on either has been found.
News report: Confederation strike notice, 23 January 2026 · FNPO letter to the Commission, 27 February 2026
Our calculators assume DA restarts at 0% on the new pay, as in 2016. The Government has not said whether DA will be merged or reset. assumption A4