By Admin 
DA Hike News: The Ministry of Labor and Employment has released the AICPI-IW index for 2025. On the basis of this, DA or dearness allowance is calculated for government employees, hence it is also called DA calculator. Looking at the direction in which things are moving, it can be said that the salaries of existing central government employees may increase before Holi.
Not only the current but also the retired central government employees can get good news from the Modi government before the festival of Holi. There is an estimated increase of 2 percent in Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) from January 2026.
After the release of AICPI-IW data of December 2025, it is being estimated that the government may increase Dearness Allowance (DA Hike) and Dearness Relief (DR Hike) by 2-2 percent. The central government can announce this before March. Let us tell you that the tenure of the 7th Pay Commission has ended on 31 December 2025, but till the recommendations of the 8th Pay Commission are made and implemented, DA will continue to be calculated on the basic salary of 7th CPC (7th Pay Commission).
What is AICPI‑IW?
AICPI-IW or All India Consumer Price Index-Industrial Workers is a type of index, which shows the changes in the prices of various types of goods and services from time to time. The Labor Ministry releases it every month. The central government decides DA on the basis of 12 month average of this index.
AICPI-IW in December 2025 was 148.2, whose 12-month average is 145.54. After calculation, DA comes out to be approximately 60.33 percent. The current DA is 58 percent, so there may be an increase of 2 percent. Since the government usually announces DA in round figures, DA can be settled at 60 percent.
Based on the AICPI-IW data of June 2025, the government had increased DA by 3 percent in October 2025. Then DA had increased from 55 percent to 58 percent. This time DA is expected to increase by 2 percent.
‘Good news’ may be received before Holi
The central government usually announces the DA for January in March, so it is expected that the announcement may be made in late February or early March. Holi is on March 4, so there are chances of getting good news from the government before that. The dearness allowance given to pensioners is called Dearness Relief (DR), which increases at the same rate as DA.
If the central government increases DA by 2 percent, then people whose basic salary is Rs 20,000 per month. His salary will increase by Rs 400. There will be an increase of Rs 600 for those with a salary of Rs 30,000. Those whose salary is Rs 1 lakh, their salary will increase by Rs 2000.
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