Latest news with #DearnessAllowance
India.com
20 hours ago
- Business
- India.com
Will DA Be Increased To 58%? Last DA Hike Announcement Under 7th Pay Commission For Govt Employees Expected To Be A Better One
photoDetails english 2925153 Updated:Jul 02, 2025, 08:43 AM IST Last DA, DR Hike Under 7th Pay Commission 1 / 8 The AICPI-IW Figures for May 2025 released by Labour Beaureau recently has once again grabbed attention on the expected Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) hike for lakhs of govt employees and pensioners which is due for July-December 2025. May 2025 AICPI-IW Figures Hint At DA Updates Ahead Of 8th Pay Commission 2 / 8 As per the data published by Labour Bureau, attached office of the M/o Labour & Employment the All-India CPI-IW for May 2025 increased by 0.5 point and stood 144.0 (one hundred forty four). Year-on-year inflation for the month of May 2025 stood at 2.93% as compared to 3.86% in May, 2024. The Bureau has been compiling Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers every month on the basis of retail prices collected from 317 markets spread over 88 industrially important centres in the country. May 2025 AICPI-IW Figures Vs April, March Data 3 / 8 The rise in May 2025 AICPI-IW Figures comes after rise in the last two months of the CPI-IW. March 2025, the All-India Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (AICPI-IW) stood at 143.0, representing a 0.2-point increase from the previous month. Year-on-year inflation for the month of March, 2025 stood at 2.95% as compared to 4.20% in March, 2024. The All-India Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (AICPI-IW) stood at 143.5 in April. Year-on-year inflation for the month of April, 2025 stood at 2.94% as compared to 3.87% in April, 2024, according to the Labour Bureau. Will The Last Dearness Allowance Hike Under 7th Pay Commission Be Bigger Than Last Time? 4 / 8 This increase of figures in the last three months AICPI-IW --March, April and May – hint towards expected DA, DR for central government employees and pensioners at around 58.08 percent. On the basis of the figure, media reports have calculated a hike of 3% hike from July 2025. DA will be thus likely be pushed from current 55 percent to 58 percent, ahead of the implementation the 8th Pay Commission from January 2026. July-December 2025 DA Hike Predictions 5 / 8 These are however just early DA, DR hike predictions. It all depends on the AICPI-IW figures for the next month i.e for June 2025, to arrive at a concrete conclusion on DA hike for central government employees and pensioners. DA Hiked To 55 Percent For Jan-June 2025 6 / 8 Much to market expectations, the Union Cabinet led by PM Narendra Modi on March 28 announced the much awaited Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief Hike for lakhs of central government employees. The Modi government announced hike in the dearness allowance by 2 percent, thus taking the DA from 53 percent to 55 percent. 7th Pay Commission DA Hike: How Much Salary Increased Last Time? 7 / 8 The basic salary of the employee is Rs 18,000 Dearness Allowance Hiked To 55 Percent: Pay increase of Rs 360 more per month New Dearness Allowance Annually: Rs 4,320 DA Hike Twice A Calendar Year 8 / 8 Dearness Allowance (DA) hikes are based on the average All India Consumer Price Index (CPI-IW) for industrial workers, which reflects changes in the cost of living. The government announces a DA/DR hike twice a year. However, the announcements are made in March and September. The hike is applied retroactively every year between January and July.
India.com
3 days ago
- Business
- India.com
8th Pay Commission ToR, Chairman Appointment Still In Limbo -- 7th CPCs Timeline For The Same Compared
photoDetails english 2924191 The delay in appointment of chairman and in finalising the Terms of Reference (ToR) has begun to cause anxiety among central government employees since several months have passed after the cabinet approval of the setting up of 8th Pay Commission Updated:Jun 30, 2025, 11:17 AM IST 8th Pay Commission: Chairman Appointment, ToR Yet Not In Sight 1 / 8 The central government employees and pensioners are becoming increasingly concerned about the delay in the appointment of the 8th Pay Commission's chairman and in finalising the Terms of Reference (ToR). 8th Pay Commission: 1.2 Crore Central Govt Employees Pensioners Waiting 2 / 8 More than 1.2 crore central government employees and pensioners are eagerly awaiting the formation of the 8th Pay Commission which will revise their salaries and pensions. Despite the government's approval on January 16, 2025, the Pay Commission has not been formally constituted. The ToR and the appointment of the chairman and other important members have also not yet been completed. 8th Pay Commission For Salary Pension, Allowance Revision 3 / 8 The 8th Pay Commission will revise the pensions, allowances and salaries of central government employees and pensioners. It will also revise the Dearness Allowance as per inflation. The 8th Pay Commission benefits about 50 lakh central government employees, including defence personnel. It will also benefit around 65 lakh central government pensioners, including defence retirees. 8th Pay Commission: January 2026 Implementation Prospects Bleak 4 / 8 The prospects for the Commission's implementation on January 1, 2026, appear bleak. While the tenure of the 7th Pay Commission ends on 31 December 2025 and the constitution of the new Commission is in limbo, the central government employees and pensioners are increasingly becoming anxious. ToR, Chairman Appointment: 7th Pay Commission Vs 8th Pay Commission Timeline Compared 5 / 8 The 7th CPC was announced in September 2013 and its chairman and ToR were notified in February 2014. However, since the announcement of the 8th Pay Commission on January 16, 2025, the ToR of the Commission are still pending. The government has also not officially announced the appointment of the chairman and other members of the commission. This indicates a delay in the formation of the 8th CPC. 8th pay commission Delay causing widespread speculation and uncertainty 6 / 8 The National Joint Consultative Machinery (Staff Side)-NCJCM has written a letter to the government requesting that the Terms of Reference (ToR) of the 8th Central Pay Commission be made public and the 8th CPC committee should be constituted at the earliest. 8th Pay Commission Tor Delay Causes Anxiety 7 / 8 According to the Staff Side, the continued delay in the formal issuance of the ToRs has led to widespread speculation and uncertainty among central government employees and pensioners. It further stated that in the absence of clear and timely communication, apprehensions are growing among employees about the credibility of the announcement regarding the setting up of the 8th CPC. Many fear whether this move is a genuine administrative initiative or otherwise. 8th Pay Commission ToRs NCJCM Staff Side Presses Faster Finalisation 8 / 8 The Staff Side has appealed to the government to issue clear guidelines on the finalized ToRs of the 8th CPC at the earliest, to dispel any ambiguity and restore confidence among the workforce. The Staff Side further requested the government to clarify that the benefits of pay fixation and revision under the 8th CPC shall also be extended to all central government pensioners, thereby removing doubts and ensuring parity and fairness in treatment.
Indian Express
6 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
HC order to make Sixth Pay Commission report public triggers new row over DA
A FRESH controversy has erupted over Dearness Allowance (DA) for West Bengal government employees, after the Sixth Pay Commission report was made public by the state government on Wednesday. This comes after a Calcutta High Court directive that the report should be published online by July 1. The controversy centres around a key recommendation made in the report — specifically in paragraph 12.4 — pointing out that the state is not bound to follow the All India Consumer Price Index (AICPI) to determine DA increases. The Commission, chaired by economist Abhirup Sarkar, said the state may determine DA on the basis of its own financial capacity. The court order was issued by Justice Amrita Sinha in response to a petition filed by government employee Debaprasad Halder. The petitioner had argued that while the state cited the Sixth Pay Commission in its defence in the ongoing DA litigation, the report itself had never been made publicly available. The court instructed the government to upload the document on the official website of the State Pay Commission. The Commission, chaired by economist Abhirup Sarkar, said the state may determine DA based on its own financial capacity. 'In view of the above, the Commission recommends that the State Government may from time to time decide the quantum of Dearness Allowance to be given to the employees, taking into consideration the financial resources available to the State Government. The State Government shall not be required to adhere to the prevailing All India Consumer Price Index for the purpose of granting/or fixing and /or enhancing the quantum of Dearness Allowance,' the report states. This has drawn sharp criticism from employee organisations, who allege that the recommendation legitimises the state's reluctance to align with central DA rates. They also allege that it formed the basis for the government's decision to reduce House Rent Allowance (HRA) from 15% to 12% of basic pay. 'It was our long-standing demand to make the report public. Now, it is clear why the government has been saying it is not bound to match central DA rates or maintain earlier HRA levels,' said Malay Mukhopadhyay, leader of the Confederation of State Government Employees, West Bengal, which is one of the petitioners in the legal battle. Dearness Allowance is extra money given to government employees and pensioners to help them deal with rising prices, calculated as a percentage of the basic salary or pension. The DA issue has been a long-standing point of contention in West Bengal. The state currently pays 18 per cent DA, following a 4 per cent hike announced by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in this year's budget. In contrast, central government employees receive 55 per cent DA. 'The revised House Rent Allowance of the employees… may be fixed at 12 per cent of the revised Basic Pay,' the Commission report states. The matter gained renewed urgency after the Supreme Court, on May 16, ordered the state to release 25 per cent of outstanding DA arrears within three months. A bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Sandeep Mehta passed the interim order while hearing the state's appeal against a 2022 Calcutta High Court ruling that had directed parity with central government DA rates. The Supreme Court specified that the interim relief would apply to arrears accumulated between 2009 and 2019, affecting nearly 10 lakh state employees. 'We are of the considered view that the petitioner-State should release at least 25% of the amount due and payable… within a period of six weeks from today,' the court said in its order. Meanwhile, the deadline for this payment ends on Friday, June 27, but the state government has not yet made any announcement. 'The Sixth Pay Commission has misled the government. Our fight in court will continue,' Mukhopadhyay said. Atri Mitra is a Special Correspondent of The Indian Express with more than 20 years of experience in reporting from West Bengal, Bihar and the North-East. He has been covering administration and political news for more than ten years and has a keen interest in political development in West Bengal. Atri holds a Master degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University and Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University. He is also an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur. He started his career with leading vernacular daily the Anandabazar Patrika, and worked there for more than fifteen years. He worked as Bihar correspondent for more than three years for Anandabazar Patrika. He covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections. He also worked with News18-Bangla and covered the Bihar Lok Sabha election in 2019. ... Read More
Indian Express
6 days ago
- Health
- Indian Express
‘Becoming a doctor too expensive in Punjab': Doctors want govt to rollback MBBS fee hike, write to CM Mann
The Punjab government's revised fee structure for MBBS and BDS courses in government medical colleges, government society-run institutions, and private health science institutions has met with protests, with many students and junior doctors terming the move 'anti-merit' and 'anti-middle class'. Saying that the fee hike would restrict access to public medical education and disproportionately affect aspirants from rural and low-income families, the Resident Doctors' Association (RDA) has written to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann demanding a rollback of the new structure, calling for more equitable policies that prioritise accessibility over revenue generation. According to the new structure announced on June 13, the total MBBS course fee in government medical colleges and government society-run institutions (excluding the NRI quota) has been raised to ₹10,98,000 from the 2025–26 academic year. For NRI candidates in government colleges, the full course fee has been fixed at $1,10,000, which is approximately ₹91.3 lakh at the current exchange rate. Dr Milan Preet, joint secretary of Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA), Punjab, and advisor to the Resident Doctors' Association (RDA) of Patiala, highlighted growing concerns over stipend disparities for postgraduate medical students in Punjab. 'Becoming a doctor is now too expensive in Punjab. When I became a doctor around 12 years ago, I paid less fee in five years than the stipend I got in Punjab. But since then, the stipend hasn't been substantially increased, whereas the fee has skyrocketed,' said Dr Preet. The year-wise breakdown for the MBBS course is ₹1,92,000 for the first year, ₹2,11,000 for the second year, ₹2,29,000 for the third year, ₹2,49,000 for the fourth year, and ₹1,17,000 for the final six-month term. Dr Raman, president of RDA Patiala, pointed out that in Kerala, government college annual fees range between ₹20,000 and ₹30,000, while private medical colleges there charge less than the government colleges in Punjab. 'The annual fee at private colleges in Kerala is below ₹7 lakh. Now you can understand how expensive medical education is in the state,' he said. In private health sciences institutions under the government quota, the total fee has been set at ₹23,67,000. This includes ₹4,47,000 for the first year, ₹4,90,000 for the second year, ₹5,36,000 for the third year, ₹5,81,000 for the fourth year, and ₹3,13,000 for the final six months. For students under the management quota in private colleges, the fee is significantly higher, totaling ₹62,92,000 for the full course. The annual charges range from ₹11,49,000 in the first year to ₹14,94,000 in the fourth year, with an additional ₹8,05,000 for the final six months. 'Despite performing the same duties and working comparable hours, PG junior residents in Punjab receive a fixed stipend of ₹67,968 per month across all three years, with no linkage to Dearness Allowance (DA),' Dr Preet said. In contrast, he pointed out that states like Haryana, Rajasthan, and Delhi not only offer higher stipends—ranging from ₹85,000 to over ₹1 lakh—but also link them to DA, allowing compensation to adjust with inflation. Dr Raman added that senior residents in Punjab also face a similar gap. 'While states like Delhi pay around ₹1.2 lakh per month and Haryana offers up to ₹1.15 lakh with DA linkage, Punjab's senior residents receive a fixed ₹81,562, which does not reflect current cost-of-living trends,' he said. He further noted that even Himachal Pradesh recently raised its senior residency stipend to ₹1 lakh, leaving Punjab behind in both amount and policy responsiveness. On the financial burden of postgraduate medical education, Dr. Mehtab Singh Bal, press secretary of PCMSA Punjab and RDA Patiala, stated that Punjab remains one of the costliest states for PG students. 'Punjab's lack of DA-linked stipends, combined with one of the highest tuition structures in the country, severely undermines the affordability and attractiveness of medical education in the state. These policy gaps are not just numbers; they directly impact the well-being and choices of young doctors, especially those from rural or economically weaker backgrounds,' Dr Preet said. As per the latest corrigendum issued by the state government, a service bond of ₹20 lakh will apply to MBBS and BDS students admitted under both the State Quota and the All India Quota. The mandated service duration is one year for All India Quota students and two years for State Quota students. Additionally, the government reserves the right to extend the service period at its discretion. 'We don't have much information on how this bond will play out. We are not sure if new doctors will be allowed admission in the post-graduation courses or whether they will be first asked to complete a two-year period. We need more clarity from the government,' said Dr Preet. 'The MBBS tuition fees and the introduction of a mandatory bond policy by the Punjab Government are anti-poor, anti-middle class, and against the vulnerable sections of our society. These policies will deter meritorious students from economically weaker backgrounds from pursuing medicine, pushing them toward private institutions or abroad, thus fueling commercialisation and privatisation of medical education. We view this as a corporate-friendly move that undermines the spirit of affordable public medical education,' the RDA letter stated. The Association has urged the government to consult with student representatives, health professionals, and educators before implementing any changes affecting public medical education. 'We implore the government to focus on strengthening infrastructure and improving stipends, rather than placing financial burdens on students,' wrote RDA in their letter to CM Mann.
NDTV
25-06-2025
- Business
- NDTV
8th Pay Commission: Salary Hike Expected For Central Government Employees In 2026
The 8th Pay Commission, approved by the Union Cabinet, is set to roll out on January 1, 2026, bringing significant changes to the salary structure, allowances, and pensions of central government employees in India. This initiative aims to address inflation, economic shifts, and the evolving needs of government officers. The commission's mandate includes compensation, pensions, and welfare measures to align with current economic realities and improve the quality of life for both employees and retirees. Key highlights include a proposed Fitment Factor of 2.28, potentially increasing the minimum wage by 34.1%. The Dearness Allowance (DA), projected to reach 70% by January 2026, will be merged into the base salary for revised calculations. The 8th Pay Commission could benefit approximately 48.62 lakh employees and 67.85 lakh pensioners, with estimated salary revisions ranging from Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000. The official website for updates is The minimum pension is also expected to rise significantly, potentially reaching Rs 20,500. Pay Commissions are typically formed around 18 months before implementation to allow sufficient time for reviews and recommendations. A salary calculator is available to estimate revised salaries based on the new commission's guidelines. Here's a step-by-step guide to calculating your estimated gross salary under the 8th Pay Commission: Step 1: Identify Your Current Basic Pay: Determine your current basic pay according to the 7th Pay Commission's pay scale. Step 2: Calculate Revised Basic Pay: Revised Basic Pay = Current Basic Pay x Fitment Factor (3.0) Step 3: Calculate Dearness Allowance (DA): DA is a percentage of your revised basic pay. DA = Revised Basic Pay × 0.50 Step 4: Calculate House Rent Allowance (HRA): HRA is a percentage of your revised basic pay and varies depending on your city: * Metro cities: 27% * Tier-2 cities: 20% * Tier-3 cities: 10% HRA = Revised Basic Pay x City Percentage Step 5: Add Travel Allowance (TA): Your TA depends on your employee level and city classification. (Consult official guidelines for your specific TA amount.) Step 6: Calculate Gross Salary: Gross Salary = Revised Basic Pay + DA + HRA + TA - Standard Deduction 8th Pay Commission Fitment Factor Throughout the history of pay commissions, significant changes in pay, fitment factors, and minimum basic salaries have been observed. The 4th Pay Commission saw a 27.6% hike with a minimum basic salary of Rs.750. The 5th Pay Commission provided a 31% hike and a minimum basic salary of Rs 2,550. The 6th Pay Commission introduced a fitment factor of 1.86 with a 54% hike, setting the minimum basic salary at Rs.7000. The 7th Pay Commission brought a 14.29% hike and a fitment factor of 2.57, resulting in a minimum basic salary of Rs.18,000. The 8th Pay Commission is expected to bring a 20% hike, a fitment factor of 3.00, and a minimum basic salary of Rs.21,600.
