The Cabinet on Wednesday authorized a 3 per cent increase in dearness allowance and dearness relief, impacting more than 1.17 crore central government employees and pensioners. Announcing the decision, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the elevation of the DA and DR in advance of Diwali. The adjustment will be effective as of July 1, 2026.