Central employees are eagerly awaiting a DA hike before Holi; learn when the announcement might be made.

Central employees and pensioners eagerly await the announcement of a Dearness Allowance (DA) hike during Holi. Let's find out more about it...

DA Hike 2026: Central employees and pensioners eagerly await the announcement of a Dearness Allowance (DA) hike during Holi. The Central Government rewards its employees with a DA hike twice a year. The government announces changes to the DA around Diwali and Holi.

With the Holi festival approaching on March 3rd, central employees and pensioners are wondering how much the DA hike could be this time. Let's find out more about it...

How much could the DA increase be?

Central government employees and pensioners currently receive a 58% dearness allowance, effective from July 2025 and fixed after a 3% increase in October 2025. Expectations remain high for the next DA revision in January 2026.

Meanwhile, the Labor Bureau has released the All India Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers for December 2025 at 148.2, compared to the average of the previous 12 months at 145.54. Based on this data, the potential DA increase for January 2026 is being estimated. According to estimates, the DA for employees is expected to be 58 to 60 percent.

Announcement expected before Holi, but date not confirmed

With Holi falling in early March, discussions regarding the announcement of dearness allowance have intensified. Some union leaders believe the government may make the announcement before the festival. Some reports also suggest cabinet approval in the first week of March. However, no official date has been revealed yet.

The government has previously announced DA increases around major festivals. For example, the July-December period is increased during Diwali. However, there is no set pattern for the January-June period, and sometimes the decision comes after Holi. Since the AICPI data is released in January, employees are hoping for the process to move forward.

How much salary increase will result from the DA hike?

The impact of the dearness allowance increase can be directly felt by employees. For example, if an employee's basic salary is Rs 50,000, then at 58% DA, they receive Rs 29,000.

At 60% DA, this would increase to Rs 30,000. This means that employee will receive Rs 1,000 more per month. Similarly, an employee with a basic salary of Rs 1 lakh will benefit by Rs 2,000.