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The Kerala government announced on Friday an increase in the Dearness Allowance (DA) for teaching staff under the UGC, AICTE, and medical education schemes, as well as the Dearness Relief (DR) for UGC pensioners and family pensioners in the state. According to the finance department, the DA rate for teaching staff under these schemes, who moved to the revised scale from January 2016 or later, will rise from 42% to 46%, reported PTI. For teaching staff under the University Grants Commission, All India Council for Technical Education, and medical education schemes who remain in the sixth pay scale effective from January 2006 or later, the DA rate will increase from 221% to 230%. For UGC pensioners and family pensioners whose pensions were revised according to the 2020 government order, the DR rate will increase from 42% to 46%. For those whose pensions were not revised as per the 2020 order, the DR rate will go up from 221% to 230%. The increased DA will be paid with the salary for October 2025, while the increased DR will apply with the pension for November 2025. The department noted that the enhanced DA rate will be applicable, subject to fund availability, to grant-in-aid institutions and other entities where UGC, AICTE, and medical education schemes are implemented through government orders. The increased DR rate will apply only to institutions, including universities, where statutory pensions are followed as per government order. On Thursday, the finance department announced an increase in DA for state government employees, teachers, staff of aided schools, private colleges and polytechnics, full-time contingent employees, and local body employees, as well as DR for state service pensioners, family pensioners, ex-gratia pensioners, and ex-gratia family pensioners, from 18% to 22%. Local governments are expected to cover the additional expenditure from their own funds. The increased DA rate will also be applicable to part-time teachers and part-time contingent employees based on their pay, and to re-employed pensioners. Employees and pensioners of state Public Sector Undertakings, statutory corporations, autonomous bodies, boards, and grant-in-aid institutions following the state DA-DR pattern will be eligible for the enhanced rate, provided they get approval from their governing bodies if they can cover the expenses from their own resources, the report added. If they are unable to meet the additional costs, prior government approval will be required. “Organisations where more than 90 per cent of the salary or pension expenses are met through Plan or Non-Plan grants from the government can release DA and DR without prior government approval, provided they secure approval from their board of directors, governing body, managing committee, or executive committee,” the department said. The DA-DR enhancement will not apply to organisations such as Kerala State Electricity Board Ltd and Kerala State Road Transport Corporation, which are required to issue separate DA-DR orders. These organisations should follow existing practices, including obtaining prior government approval where necessary, while sanctioning DA and DR to their employees and pensioners.
