Representative image. Arne Hückelheim, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
हिन्दी में सारांश Summary in Hindi
- धिकतम ₹6,908।
- धिकतम ₹1,184।
- 25% नकद और 75% GPF में जाएगा; सेवानिवृत्त होने वालों को पूरा बोनस नकद।
বাংলায় সারাংশ Summary in Bangla
- উত্তরপ্রদেশের নন-গেজেটেড সরকারি কর্মীরা ২০২৫-২৬-এর জন্য ৩০ দিনের বোনাস পাবেন, সর্বোচ্চ ₹৬,৯০৮।
- হিসাবের জন্য মাসিক বেতন ₹৭,০০০-এ সীমিত; দৈনিক মজুরির কর্মীরা সর্বোচ্চ ₹১,১৮৪ পাবেন।
- বসরপ্রাপ্তরা পুরোটাই নগদে পাবেন।
Why it matters
The bonus reaches lakhs of households in Uttar Pradesh just before Diwali, but most of it is savings rather than spending money. Knowing the cap, the split and the eligibility rules tells an employee what to expect in hand and why a colleague may get it later or not at all.
The UP Diwali bonus for 2026 is out: Uttar Pradesh’s non-gazetted government employees will get a bonus equal to 30 days’ pay for 2025-26, capped at ₹6,908 each, under a Finance Department order announced on Thursday, 5 November 2026. Only a quarter of it comes as cash. The rest, 75%, goes into the employee’s General Provident Fund (GPF) account, the Times of India and the Free Press Journal reported.
The Times of India put the number of employees covered at about 14.5 lakh. The Free Press Journal, citing the government order, said about 14.82 lakh.
How the ₹6,908 UP Diwali bonus is worked out
The bonus is not 30 days of an employee’s full salary. For this calculation the order caps monthly emoluments at ₹7,000, whatever the person actually earns. The bonus is then 30 days’ worth of that capped amount, using an average month of 30.4 days, the Free Press Journal reported.
That gives ₹7,000 × 30 ÷ 30.4 = ₹6,907.89, which rounds to the ₹6,908 in the order. Daily-wage workers have a lower cap of ₹1,200 a month, which works out to ₹1,184, both reports said. Daily-wage staff earning less than the cap are paid on their actual emoluments, according to the Times of India.
| Who | Maximum bonus | Cash now (25%) | Into GPF or savings (75%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-time non-gazetted employee | ₹6,908 | ₹1,727 | ₹5,181 |
| Daily-wage worker | ₹1,184 | ₹296* | ₹888* |
| Retired after 31 March 2026, or retiring by 30 April 2027 | ₹6,908 | ₹6,908 (all cash) | Nil |
Who is eligible for the UP bonus
The order covers full-time non-gazetted employees of the state government and staff of government-aided educational and technical institutions, local bodies, zila panchayats (district councils) and work-charged employees in departments, according to both reports.
- Pay level: posts up to Pay Matrix Level 8 (₹47,600 to ₹1,51,100), including employees who reached a higher level through financial upgradation, the Times of India reported. The Free Press Journal added that the pre-revised equivalent is grade pay of up to ₹4,800.
- Service: at least one year of continuous service up to 31 March 2026.
- Daily-wage workers: at least three years of continuous service, with 240 days of work a year in offices with a six-day week, or 206 days in offices with a five-day week.
The order is for non-gazetted posts; gazetted officers are not covered, as the reports describe it.
Cash, GPF, NSC: where the money goes
The 75% savings share is deposited in the employee’s GPF account. Employees who are not GPF members get that share as National Savings Certificates (NSC, a small-savings bond sold through post offices) or as a deposit in their Public Provident Fund (PPF) account, the Free Press Journal reported.
Retirees are treated differently. Anyone who retired after 31 March 2026, or who is due to retire by 30 April 2027, gets the whole bonus in cash, according to both reports. For a full-time employee in that group, the cash in hand rises from ₹1,727 to ₹6,908.
Who will not get the bonus, or will get it late
Employees who were punished in departmental disciplinary proceedings or criminal cases during 2025-26 are not eligible. Where proceedings are still pending, the bonus will be held back until the case ends; if the employee is cleared, it will be paid with arrears, the Times of India and the Free Press Journal reported.
How UP’s bonus compares
The state’s order follows the Centre’s order of 15 October granting a similar bonus to central government employees, the Times of India reported. Other states have also announced festive payments this week. In Maharashtra, the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) will give each of its about 83,000 employees a ₹10,000 Diwali bonus and raise their dearness allowance (DA) from 58% to 60%, Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik said on Thursday, according to the Press Trust of India (PTI).
For a UP employee, the practical point is the timing and form of the money. The cash part, at most ₹1,727, is the amount that reaches the pocket before the festival; the larger part, ₹5,181, adds to retirement savings. The reports read did not give the date by which departments must pay it.
More Uttar Pradesh stories are on our Uttar Pradesh page, and the Times of India’s report on the order is here. For central staff allowances, see our DA report.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the UP Diwali bonus 2026?
Up to ₹6,908 for non-gazetted employees and up to ₹1,184 for eligible daily-wage workers, for 30 days of 2025-26.
How much of the UP bonus is paid in cash?
25%. For the maximum bonus that is ₹1,727 in cash, with ₹5,181 going to GPF, by NewsPlainly's calculation. Retirees get all of it in cash.
Who is eligible for the UP government employees' bonus?
Non-gazetted staff up to Pay Matrix Level 8 with one year's continuous service to 31 March 2026, including staff of aided institutions, local bodies and zila panchayats.