# Indian Government Approves 30-Day Ad-Hoc Bonus for Employees Eligible central staff receive up to ₹6,908 based on specific service and salary criteria. - **Source:** [mint - money](https://www.livemint.com/rss/money) - **Published:** 2026-10-15 - **Topic:** [Business](https://brifing.si/c/business) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/e3c5585e-60ea-4d9d-8a6c-fc3a3fb940c8 ## Bonus Approval Overview The Indian government has sanctioned a 30-day non-productivity-linked bonus for eligible central employees for the 2025-26 accounting year. The Department of Expenditure issued the formal memorandum on 15 October 2026. This ad-hoc payment targets specific staff categories not covered by existing productivity-linked schemes, ensuring standardized financial benefits across various government departments. ## Eligibility and Service Rules To qualify, employees must have completed at least six months of continuous service during the 2025-26 period. Furthermore, personnel must have been actively in service as of 31 March 2026. The policy explicitly covers Group C and non-gazetted Group B employees, including those serving in Central Armed Police Forces and the Armed Forces. ## Maximum Payout Calculation The bonus is calculated using a monthly emolument ceiling of ₹7,000. For employees meeting or exceeding this threshold, the maximum payout for 30 days reaches ₹6,908. The calculation involves dividing the monthly amount by 30.4, representing the average days in a month, and multiplying the result by the 30 granted bonus days. ## Pro-rata Payment Provisions Employees with average monthly emoluments below the ₹7,000 ceiling receive a bonus proportional to their actual earnings. Those who served between six months and one year qualify for a pro-rata payment. The eligible period is calculated in months, with fractions rounded to the nearest whole month to ensure fair distribution of funds. ## Special Cases for Retirement The policy includes provisions for employees who retired, died, or were medically invalidated before 31 March 2026. These individuals remain eligible for a proportionate bonus provided they completed at least six months of regular service during the accounting year. This ensures that service contributions are recognized even if employment ended before the fiscal cutoff. ## Deputation and Transfer Rules Employees on deputation to state governments or public sector undertakings are ineligible for payments from their parent departments. Instead, the borrowing organization manages the bonus according to their specific schemes. However, staff transferred between eligible central offices without service breaks can aggregate their total tenure to satisfy the mandatory six-month eligibility requirement. ## Casual Labourer Requirements Casual labourers must meet strict work-day thresholds to qualify for the bonus. Those in six-day work week offices need 240 days of work annually for three years, while five-day week offices require 206 days. Their bonus is calculated using a lower monthly ceiling of ₹1,200, resulting in a maximum payout of ₹1,184. ## Financial Implementation Strategy Expenditure for these bonus payments will be sourced directly from the sanctioned budget provisions of individual ministries and departments for the 2026-27 financial year. All final payment figures are rounded to the nearest rupee. This structured approach ensures fiscal discipline while fulfilling the government's commitment to providing ad-hoc financial incentives to its workforce. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.livemint.com/money/personal-finance/centre-approves-30-day-bonus-for-government-employees-check-eligibility-6-908-payout-and-service-rules-11792087560806.html — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._