8th Pay Commission Update: Central employees are in trouble! 8th Pay Commission and DA increase may be announced in April

News India Live, Digital Desk: April 2026 can bring happiness for more than 1 crore central employees and pensioners of the country. According to sources and media reports, the central government may announce an increase of 2% to 4% in Dearness Allowance (DA) next month. Along with this, the bigger picture is also expected to be clear regarding the formation of the 8th Pay Commission and its ‘fitment factor’. How much will be the increase in Dearness Allowance (DA)? Employees are waiting for the next revision since the last increase in October 2025. Estimated increase: Based on AICPI-IW data, this time a 2% increase in DA is considered almost certain, due to which it will increase from 58%. It will be 60%. When will it be implemented: This increase will be considered effective from January 1, 2026, which means that the employees will also get the arrears of the previous months. Date of announcement: After not making the announcement on Holi (3 March), it is now believed that the cabinet can approve it in the last week of March or the first week of April. 8th Pay Commission: What is the latest status? Tenure of the 7th Pay Commission is 31 December. Expired in 2025. Now the stir regarding the 8th Pay Commission is intense: Questionnaire deadline extended: The 8th Pay Commission has extended the last date for submission of its 18-point questionnaire to take feedback from various stakeholders till March 31, 2026. Demand for fitment factor: Employee organizations are demanding fitment factor of 3.00 to 3.25. If the government adopts a multiplier of 3.00, the minimum basic salary may increase from Rs 18,000 to Rs 54,000. Chairperson: The commission headed by Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai is in the process of formulating its recommendations. How much will be the impact on salaries? (An example) If your basic salary is Rs 30,000 and DA increases by 2%, there will be a direct increase of about Rs 600 in your monthly income. At the same time, after the implementation of the 8th Pay Commission, this increase will be in thousands. These states have already given good news. State governments like Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Kerala have already announced DA increase for their employees. Madhya Pradesh government has decided to give 58% DA from April 2026, which is equal to the central rate.