The Ministry of Finance has approved an Ad-hoc Bonus equivalent to 30 days' salary for the accounting year 2024-25 . This bonus is specifically for Central Government employees in Group ‘C’ and all non-gazetted employees in Group ‘B’ who are not covered by any Productivity-Linked Bonus scheme .

Bonus Amount and Calculation

The bonus amount has been fixed at Rs.6,908 for most eligible employees . For casual labourers who meet the service requirements, the bonus is a fixed amount of Rs.1,184 .

The calculation is based on a notional monthly salary of Rs.7,000,

using the formula: 7,000 × 30 / 30.4 = Rs.6,907.89 (rounded off to Rs.6,908) .

Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for the bonus, employees must meet the following conditions :

Service Status: Must be in service as of March 31, 2025.

Service Duration: Must have completed at least six months of continuous service in the year. Those with less than a year of service will receive a pro-rata payment.

Covered Personnel: The order also extends to personnel of the paramilitary forces, armed forces, and employees of Union Territories following the Central government's pay structure .

Other Cases: Employees who retired, resigned, or passed away before March 31, 2025, but had completed at least six months of service, are also eligible .

Good to Know

It's important to distinguish this Ad-hoc Bonus from other schemes. For instance, the Union Cabinet has separately approved a Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) for 78 days to over 10.9 lakh non-gazetted railway employees . Furthermore, some organizations like the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) run their own PLB schemes for eligible staff .

This announcement is set to bring festive cheer to millions of central government staff and security personnel, offering financial relief ahead of the Diwali celebrations .