7th Pay Commission DA Hike: This time dearness allowance / dearness allowance (DA / DR) for central government employees and pensioners has not been announced yet. Every year, announcements regarding DA and DR, which will be implemented from January 1, were made around Holi.
But this time lakhs of employees and pensioners are upset over the delay. There has never been such a huge increase in DA of central employees and pensioners in the last 10 years as has happened this time. There is no discussion yet regarding DA hike to be implemented from January 2026. Due to this, lakhs of employees and pensioners are disappointed.
Angered by the continuous delay in DA hike, the Central Government Employees and Workers Federation (CCGEW) has announced to protest against the Centre. The federation wrote a letter to the Cabinet Secretary informing that on 16 April 2026, demonstrations will be held in all the offices during lunch hour. A proposal will also be sent after the demonstration. It was clearly stated in the letter that members of all the organizations associated with the federation will demonstrate at the working place during lunch time on 16th April. Their demand is that a new DA/DR should be announced from January 1, 2026.
Why is there a delay?
After the implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission on January 1, 2016, there has never been such a delay in DA. Employees were hopeful that DA hike could be announced before Holi (4 March 2026) or a few days after. But no official notification has been issued even till mid-April. Dearness Relief (DR) has also not been announced for pensioners.
Employees of which department will take part in the demonstration?
CCGEW Chairman SB Yadav said that many important departments like Income Tax Department, Post Department, Agriculture Department, Botanical Survey of India, Geological Survey of India and Survey of India are going to participate in the demonstration to be held on 16th April.
When was DA announced last year?
The government last announced DA hike in October 2025. It was implemented from 1 July 2025. At that time arrears were also given to employees and pensioners. But the wait for the January 2026 installment still continues.
How much can DA increase from January?
DA is calculated on the basis of Average All India Consumer Price Index (AICPI-IW) of the last 12 months. According to the average from January to December 2025, an increase of about 2% in DA is expected. At present central employees are getting 58% DA. If it increases by 2% then it will increase to 60%. In some reports, a 3% increase is also being said. With this, DA can increase to 61%.
Let us tell you that this year the discussion regarding the 8th Pay Commission is very intense. Therefore, efforts are being made by the government to announce DA along with arrears in the interest of the employees. The announcement of DA may be delayed but there is a possibility of employees getting arrears from January 1, 2026.
What is the demand of the employees?
Central employee organizations say that DA should be declared on time, so that the impact of inflation can be reduced. Due to this delay, three months’ arrears are stuck in the salary and pension of the employees. The demonstration on 16th April is being organized to raise the demand for DA hike. Experts say that the calculation of DA is formula based, there will be no change in it. It may be announced soon, but the employees are in no mood to wait.