DA Hike Likely Before Holi 2026: Government Employees May Get 2% Salary Boost

DA Hike: Millions of central government employees are waiting for a DA hike before Holi. The DA is expected to increase by 2%. The announcement is likely in the first week of March.

DA and DR increase for employees and pensioners

DA Hike: With Holi just around the corner, millions of central government employees are waiting for a DA hike. This year, Holi is on March 3, 2026. Before that, employees and pensioners are eagerly waiting for a DA/DR increase.

Possibility of a 2% DA increase

The question is whether the DA hike will be announced before Holi. The Labour Bureau has released the AICPI-IW for Dec 2025 at 148.2. Based on this, a 2% DA hike is likely.

Could increase from 58% to 60%

Currently, the DA is 58%, which will increase to 60%. This hike will be effective from January 2026, as the central government announces DA hikes twice a year.

DA announcement in the first week of March

This DA hike is usually announced before major festivals like Holi or Diwali. This time, according to reports and unions, the government might announce it in the first week of March.

This announcement could happen before Holi

It's also believed the announcement could come before Holi. Manjeet Singh Patel, National President of the All India NPS Employees Federation, said it's expected before Holi.

Its impact on salary

The impact on salary will be visible from April. Last year, Holi was on March 14, but the announcement came on March 28. However, the DA hike was announced before Diwali in Oct 2025.

Why is the DA hike important for employees?

The government announces DA to reduce inflation's impact on basic salary. While basic pay is fixed, DA increases every six months. The 7th Pay Commission ends on Dec 31, 2025.

Total salary increase for employees

However, implementing the 8th Pay Commission will take 1-1.5 years. Until then, basic pay will remain the same, but DA will continue to increase, boosting total salary.

Awaiting the government's announcement

However, the government hasn't made any official announcement yet. Some employees are hopeful based on union estimates. Now, they just await the government's word.