India, April 26 -- The Centre recently approved a 2% increase in dearness allowance (DA) for the January-June 2026 period, benefiting over 1.2 crore central government employees and pensioners. While DA hikes are announced regularly, this one stands out because it is the first revision after the 7th Pay Commission ended on December 31, 2025.

This timing has raised an important concern among employees-how the DA accumulated during this transition phase will be treated once the 8th Pay Commission is implemented.

8th Pay Commission Timeline and Expectations

The 8th Pay Commission has been given 18 months to submit its report, which is expected by mid-2027. After that, the government may take another 6-8 months to review and implement...