New DA rates under 5th and 6th pay commissions: How much extra employees may get before Diwali 2026

The Finance Ministry has notified higher dearness allowance for central government employees who continue to draw pay in the pre-revised scales of the 5th and 6th Central Pay Commissions. According to the a release from the Ministry, the new DA rates will be effective from July 1, 2026, which means four months of arrears can be paid along with the salary that falls just before Diwali on November 8, 2026.

Under the 5th Pay Commission scales, the DA rate has been raised from 483% to 497% of basic pay, an increase of 14 percentage points.

Under the 6th Pay Commission scales, the rate has gone up from 262% to 269%, an increase of 7 percentage points.

Both orders were issued by the Department of Expenditure on October 29, 2026, and are signed by Manoj Kumar Jain, Under Secretary to the Government of India.

The 5th CPC order states that the DA rate "in respect of employees, who are continuing to draw their pay in the pre-revised pay scale as per 5th Central Pay Commission, shall be enhanced from the existing rates of 483% to 497% of Basic Pay w.e.f. 1st July, 2026."

The 6th CPC order uses identical language, raising the rate "from the existing rates of 262% to 269% of Basic Pay"

What the increase means in rupees

The extra amount each month is simply the percentage-point increase applied to basic pay. The final benefit will vary by pay scale.

On the 5th CPC scales, every ₹1,000 of basic pay now carries ₹140 more DA a month; on the 6th CPC scales, ₹70 more.

Below tables show the impact of DA hike on various assumed basic pay amounts:

The arrears shown assume the revised DA for July, August, September and October is paid in one go. If the October salary is credited before the festival, the higher monthly DA and the arrears would land in the same payment. In case, the department settles arrears separately, the cash benefit could come after Diwali.

Both DA orders carry a standard rider: the provisions in paragraphs 3, 4 and 5 of the earlier orders of 1997 (for 5th CPC) and 2008 (for 6th CPC) will continue to apply while regulating DA.

The ministry has also asked that the contents be brought to the notice of all organisations under the administrative control of ministries and departments that have adopted central government pay scales.