Kerala government orders hike in dearness allowance of UGC, AICTE teaching staff

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala government on Friday ordered an enhancement of the DA for teaching staff under the UGC, AICTE, and medical education schemes, and the DR for UGC pensioners and family pensioners in the state. The finance department said the rate of Dearness Allowance payable to teaching staff under these schemes, who shifted to the revised scale from January 2016 or later, will be increased from 42 per cent to 46 per cent.

It also said that the DA rate for teaching staff under the University Grants Commission, All India Council for Technical Education , and medical education schemes, who continue in the sixth pay scale effective from January 2006 or thereafter, will be enhanced from 221 per cent to 230 per cent.

Further, the rate of Dearness Relief payable to UGC pensioners and family pensioners whose pension was revised as per the 2020 government order will be increased from 42 per cent to 46 per cent.

For UGC pensioners and family pensioners whose pension was not revised as per the 2020 order, the DR rate will be raised from 221 per cent to 230 per cent, the order said.

DA payable with salary for October 2025

The enhanced DA will be payable along with the salary due for October 2025, while the increased DR will be applicable with the pension due for November 2025, it added.

"The enhanced rate of DA is applicable, subject to the availability of funds, to grant-in-aid institutions, and others, where UGC, AICTE, and medical education schemes have been implemented through government orders," the department said. "The increased DR rate is applicable only to institutions, including universities, where statutory pension is followed as per government order," it added.

DA increases by 18-22%

On Thursday, the finance department had ordered that DA payable to state government employees, teachers, staff of aided schools, private colleges and polytechnics, full-time contingent employees, and employees of local bodies—as well as the DR of state service pensioners, family pensioners, ex-gratia pensioners, and ex-gratia family pensioners—be enhanced from 18 per cent to 22 per cent.

"The additional expenditure on this account in respect of local governments will be met by them from their own funds," it said. It also noted that the enhanced DA rate will apply 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 also be eligible for the enhanced rate, subject to conditions such as approval by their governing bodies if they can meet the expenses from their own resources. If they cannot meet the additional expenditure from their own funds, prior government approval will be required.

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DA, DR without approval

"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.

It added that the DA-DR enhancement will not apply to organisations such as Kerala State Electricity Board Ltd and Kerala State Road Transport Corporation, which have been instructed to issue separate DA-DR orders. "Such organisations should follow the existing practice, including obtaining prior government approval where required, while sanctioning DA and DR to their employees and pensioners," it added.