New Delhi, October 28, 2026: The Central Government has approved a Non-Productivity Linked Bonus (ad-hoc bonus) equivalent to 30 days’ emoluments for eligible government employees, including personnel of the Indian Armed Forces and Central Paramilitary Forces, for the financial year 2025–26. The bonus amount can reach ₹6,908 under the calculation ceiling prescribed by the Ministry of Finance.
According to an official memorandum issued by the Ministry of Finance’s Department of Expenditure on October 15, 2026, the President has sanctioned the payment of the ad-hoc bonus to eligible Group C employees and non-gazetted Group B employees of the Central Government who are not covered under any Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) scheme.
The government has specifically clarified that the bonus will also be admissible to eligible employees of the Central Paramilitary Forces and Armed Forces, extending the benefit to qualifying defence and security personnel.
The announcement provides an additional financial benefit to eligible personnel serving in government departments, defence establishments and paramilitary organisations.
How Much Bonus Will Armed Forces and Paramilitary Personnel Receive?
The Ministry of Finance has fixed the monthly emoluments calculation ceiling at ₹7,000 for determining the amount of the ad-hoc bonus.
Although the government has approved a bonus equivalent to 30 days’ emoluments, the calculation follows a prescribed formula based on the average number of days in a month.
Under the official formula, ₹7,000 is multiplied by 30 and divided by 30.4, resulting in ₹6,907.89, which is rounded to ₹6,908.
Therefore, eligible employees whose average monthly emoluments are ₹7,000 or above for calculation purposes can receive ₹6,908 as a bonus for the full accounting year. Employees with lower average emoluments or shorter qualifying service may receive a reduced amount.
The bonus is separate from regular monthly salary and is subject to the eligibility conditions specified in the government order.
Which Armed Forces and Paramilitary Personnel Are Eligible?
The government memorandum explicitly states that the payment of the ad-hoc bonus will be admissible to eligible employees of the Armed Forces and Central Paramilitary Forces.
However, the order does not provide a rank-wise or force-wise list of beneficiaries. Eligibility depends on the applicable employee category, service conditions and whether the individual is covered by another Productivity Linked Bonus scheme.
The scheme primarily applies to Group C and non-gazetted Group B Central Government employees who are not covered under a PLB scheme.
Consequently, the announcement should not be interpreted as a universal bonus for every serving soldier, officer or paramilitary employee. Actual eligibility will be determined according to the government’s prescribed conditions and the relevant departmental rules.
Minimum Six Months of Service Required
One of the major conditions announced by the Ministry of Finance is that eligible employees must have completed at least six months of continuous service during the financial year 2025–26.
Employees must also have been in service on March 31, 2026, subject to certain exceptions specified in the memorandum.
Personnel who completed six months or more but less than a full year of qualifying service will be entitled to a proportionate bonus.
For example, an otherwise eligible employee who completed six months of qualifying service would receive approximately half of the full-year bonus amount.
The government has directed that the qualifying period should be calculated according to the number of months of continuous service, rounded to the nearest month.
Will Retired Employees Receive the Bonus?
The Ministry of Finance has also clarified the eligibility of employees who retired or died before March 31, 2026.
According to the memorandum, employees who retired on superannuation, retired on medical invalidation grounds, or died before March 31, 2026, may qualify for the ad-hoc bonus on a proportionate basis, provided they completed at least six months of regular service during the accounting year.
The provision ensures that qualifying employees and applicable cases involving deceased personnel are not automatically excluded merely because their service ended before the financial year’s closing date.
However, employees who resigned before March 31, 2026, are not included in this special exception.
Casual Labourers Also Eligible for Bonus
Apart from regular government employees, the order provides bonus benefits to eligible casual labourers working in government offices.
Casual labourers employed in offices observing a six-day working week must have completed at least 240 days of work in each year for three years or more.
For offices following a five-day working week, the requirement is at least 206 days of work in each year for three years or more.
Eligible casual labourers can receive ₹1,184 as an ad-hoc bonus, calculated using a prescribed monthly amount of ₹1,200.
The actual payment may be lower where the applicable monthly emoluments are below ₹1,200.
Government Clarifies Rules for Employees on Leave and Deputation
The memorandum also provides detailed clarification regarding employees who were on leave, suspension, deputation or transferred between government departments during the accounting year.
Employees on certain categories of leave may have those periods counted towards their qualifying service. However, periods of extraordinary leave without pay or absence treated as dies non will generally be excluded from the eligibility calculation.
Employees transferred between eligible Central Government departments without a break in service may have their combined service considered when determining bonus eligibility.
The government has also provided specific provisions for employees serving on deputation, including cases where the borrowing organisation is responsible for bonus payments.
When Will the ₹6,908 Bonus Be Paid?
The official memorandum, dated October 15, 2026, sanctions the bonus for the accounting year 2025–26.
The expenditure will be met from the sanctioned budget allocations of the respective ministries and departments for the financial year 2026–27.
However, the memorandum does not specify a common payment date for all eligible employees. The actual disbursement will depend on implementation by the respective ministries, departments and concerned authorities.
Major Financial Relief for Eligible Government Personnel
The government’s decision to approve the 30-day ad-hoc bonus provides an additional financial benefit to qualifying Central Government employees, including eligible personnel of the Armed Forces and Central Paramilitary Forces.
With a maximum full-year bonus of ₹6,908 under the prescribed calculation ceiling, the payment offers supplementary financial support to eligible personnel and their families.
The Ministry of Finance has directed all Central Government ministries and departments to implement the order in accordance with the eligibility requirements and financial provisions.
The official memorandum, issued under File No. 7/24/2007-E.III(A) on October 15, 2026, contains the complete eligibility conditions and calculation methodology for the Non-Productivity Linked Bonus for 2025–26.
