BharatNotes TA at Level 9 and above in a TPTA city is Rs 7,200 + DA; outside TPTA cities it is Rs 3,600 + DA. Medical care is via CGHS - cashless treatment at empanelled hospitals for officer + family + dependent parents, contribution Rs 250-1,000/month by pay level (slabs notified by MoHFW, unchanged since Feb 2017). Children's Education Allowance is Rs 2,812.50/month per child (capped at 2 children, automatically raised 25% in 2024 when DA crossed 50%), plus hostel subsidy of Rs 8,437.50/month.
Transport Allowance (TPTA, post-60% DA, FY 2026-27)
| Pay Level | TPTA Cities (Rs/month) | Other Cities (Rs/month) |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1-2 | 1,350 + 60% DA on it = 2,160 | 900 + DA = 1,440 |
| Level 3-8 | 3,600 + 60% DA = 5,760 | 1,800 + DA = 2,880 |
| Level 9 and above | 7,200 + 60% DA = 11,520 | 3,600 + DA = 5,760 |
The 13 TPTA cities (Transport-Allowance Higher Rate) are: Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pune, Kanpur, Lucknow, Surat, Nagpur, Jaipur.
Level 14+ officers with an official chauffeur-driven car drawing TA is technically allowed (TA is not contingent on personal use of the vehicle for office commute), but most states have internal orders to forego TA when an official car is used full-time.
CGHS - the cashless healthcare card
The Central Government Health Scheme covers:
- Beneficiaries: officer, spouse, dependent children, dependent parents, divorced/widowed daughters, siblings with disability.
- Network: 80+ CGHS cities, 2,000+ wellness centres, and a panel of 1,300+ empanelled private hospitals across India.
- Coverage: OPD, IPD, AYUSH (Ayurveda/Yoga/Unani/Siddha/Homoeopathy), dental (limited), maternity, rehabilitative care, hearing aids, prosthetics.
Monthly contribution (slabs unchanged since 01 Feb 2017, applicable in FY 2025-26 and 2026-27 unchanged):
| Pay Level | Monthly contribution (Rs) | Ward entitlement |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1-5 | 250 | General |
| Level 6 | 450 | Semi-Private |
| Level 7-11 | 650 | Semi-Private |
| Level 12 and above | 1,000 | Private |
Note: the 8th CPC, constituted in November 2025 under Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, is expected to revise these slabs - market expectation is a top-slab move to Rs 1,250-1,500 once the report is implemented.
- Lifetime cover: continues into retirement with a one-time payment of 10 years' contribution (Rs 30,000 - Rs 1.20 lakh depending on level).
- Empanelled hospital network includes Apollo, Fortis, Medanta, Max, AIIMS-private wing, and over a thousand others.
Children's Education Allowance & Hostel Subsidy
When DA crossed 50% on 01 January 2024, the 7th CPC's auto-revision rule (a 25% bump on CEA whenever DA crosses each 50% milestone) kicked in:
- CEA: Rs 2,812.50 per child per month, fixed (regardless of actual school fees), capped at 2 eldest surviving children.
- Hostel subsidy: Rs 8,437.50 per child per month if the child stays in a hostel at least 50 km from the officer's station of posting.
- Divyang children: Double the CEA, i.e. Rs 5,625 per month.
- Reimbursed in two instalments per academic year on submission of a school certificate (no fee receipts required - this was simplified by DoPT in 2018).
Worked example: DM Akash, Year 8, Level 12, Y-city, 2 school-going kids
- TA: Rs 5,760 (outside TPTA city).
- CGHS contribution: Rs 1,000/month (Level 12+).
- CEA: 2 x Rs 2,812.50 = Rs 5,625/month (claimed half-yearly as Rs 33,750 per child per year).
- Hostel subsidy: not applicable (kids stay at home).
- Net allowance basket: ~Rs 10,385/month plus cashless health cover worth Rs 80,000-1.2 lakh/year in the private market.
CGHS ward entitlements
When an empanelled hospitalisation is required, CGHS pays for the ward as per entitlement:
| Pay Level | Ward category | Daily room rent ceiling at empanelled private hospital |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1-5 | General ward | Rs 1,000-1,500 (NABH/Non-NABH) |
| Level 6 | Semi-private | Rs 2,500 |
| Level 7-11 | Semi-private | Rs 3,000 |
| Level 12 and above | Private | Rs 4,500 (single room AC) |
Difference between actual hospital charge and CGHS ceiling is borne by the patient - which is why senior officers sometimes top up with private supplementary insurance.
Risk and Hardship Allowance (RH-Allowance) - relevant for IPS/IFoS
For officers posted in difficult terrain (J&K, NE, LWE-affected districts), the 7th CPC introduced a four-tier matrix:
| Category | Cell-1 rate (Level 9 and above, Rs/month) |
|---|---|
| R1H1 (highest risk - Siachen, active LWE areas) | 25,000 |
| R1H2 / R2H1 | 16,900 |
| R1H3 / R2H2 / R3H1 | 9,700 |
| R2H3 / R3H2 | 6,000 |
This allowance is fully taxable but provides meaningful cash uplift for officers in hardship postings.
Worked scenario: SP Anjali in a LWE-affected district (Year 6, Level 11)
- Basic Rs 67,700 + DA Rs 40,620 + HRA 30% (district HQ classified as X for hardship?) - more realistically 10% Z = Rs 6,770.
- TA: Rs 5,760 (outside TPTA city).
- R1H2 allowance: Rs 16,900 (LWE-affected district classified R1H2).
- Gross: ~Rs 1,37,750.
- Free police bungalow, jeep, PSO team, and mess access. Plus full CGHS for family in the nearest CGHS city.
This is why IPS officers in field hardship postings sometimes outearn their IAS batchmates in cash terms - the RH-Allowance is the equaliser.
Mentor's note
CGHS is the underrated jewel. A private family health policy of equivalent cover (including pre-existing diseases, dental, AYUSH, dependent parents, lifetime cover post-retirement) would cost a Level 14 officer Rs 80,000-1.2 lakh annually - CGHS does it for Rs 12,000. The other underrated benefit is the simplicity of CEA - no receipts, just a school certificate, Rs 67,500 a year tax-efficient cash for two children. Officers with school-going kids should always claim CEA; it is one of those allowances aspirants rarely think about but officers happily collect. The 8th CPC under Justice Desai is expected to review both CGHS contribution slabs (likely upward) and CEA rates (likely upward by 25% on a one-time basis), so the value of these allowances will only grow.
