Dearness Allowance, May 28 -- The 8th pay commission (8th CPC) has begun meeting with employee representative groups, unions and stakeholders as it sets to gather recommendations on pay hikes, allowances, salary structure, and more. Constituted every 10 years, the panel is expected to make significant decisions impacting salaries of central government employees and pensioners, including railways and defence staff by mid-2027.

As many as 50 lakh central government employees, including defence personnel, and around 65 lakh retired central government pensioners, including defence retirees benefit from increase in DA and DR component. Meanwhile, HRA benefits apply to many salaried individuals in India.

Amid these ongoing revision discussion...