Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay announces a 2 percentage point increase in the Dearness Allowance (DA) for state government employees and teachers. Under the decision, DA rises from 58% to 60%, effective January 1, 2026. The announcement is stated to be in line with a revision by the Union government. The hike is expected to benefit about 16 lakh employees and covers government officials and teachers. The state government estimates that implementing the increased DA will require an additional annual expenditure of ₹1,230 crore, which the government will fund by allocating the necessary resources. Sources also note that the government expresses commitment to the welfare of government officials, teachers, pensioners, and family pensioners, and that officials and teachers play a role in designing and implementing welfare schemes. The change applies to DA calculations for eligible state government personnel and teachers starting from the effective date.