New Delhi, April 18 -- The Central government on Saturday, April 18, hiked Dearness Allowance (DA) for central government employees by 2 per cent. The move will benefit as many as 50.46 lakh central government employees. The DA hike to Central government employees will come into effect from January 1, 2026.

The new DA hike of two per cent is an increase over the existing rate of 58 per cent in the Basic Pay. The hike now takes the Dearness Allowance to 60 per cent. This increase is in accordance with the accepted formula, which is based on the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission.

For instance if a central government employees is earning Rs.50,000 as basic pay, s/he will see a hike of Rs.1,000 in their basic pays.

Basic pa...