Non-practising allowance (NPA) for government doctors
Updated 11 October 2026
Non-practising allowance (NPA) is paid to government doctors in posts where private practice is banned. Under the 7th CPC it is 20% of basic pay, from 1 July 2017, as long as basic pay plus NPA does not exceed ₹2,37,500. NPA counts as pay for DA, NPS contributions and pension, but not for HRA.
Who gets NPA
NPA is paid in medical posts that need a recognised medical or dental degree as an essential qualification, provided the post is:
- clinical,
- whole-time,
- one with ample scope for private practice, and
- one where private practice has to be banned in the public interest.
Dental surgeons in posts meeting these conditions are covered too. Doctors of the Central Health Service and other central medical posts get it under orders issued in July 2017, while the Railways, Defence (Armed Forces Medical Services) and the Department of Atomic Energy issued their own orders. Veterinary posts that need a B.V.Sc. & AH degree and registration with the Veterinary Council of India get NPA on the same terms under a separate Department of Expenditure order. State government doctors follow their state's rules, which differ.
Rate and ceiling
NPA is 20% of basic pay, meaning the pay in your level of the pay matrix. Basic pay plus NPA cannot exceed ₹2,37,500, which is the average of Level 17 (₹2,25,000) and Level 18 (₹2,50,000), the apex scale and the Cabinet Secretary's pay. For Armed Forces doctors, basic pay plus Military Service Pay plus NPA is capped at the same ₹2,37,500. Before the 7th CPC, NPA was 25% of pay in the pay band plus grade pay.
The cap starts to bite once basic pay goes above about ₹1,97,900 (because ₹1,97,917 × 1.2 = ₹2,37,500). In practice only senior doctors are affected: the cap applies in the top cells of Levels 11 to 15 and in all of Levels 16 and 17. At Level 17 (₹2,25,000), NPA is ₹12,500.
What NPA counts for
| Purpose | Is NPA included? |
|---|---|
| DA | Yes. DA is paid on basic pay plus NPA. |
| HRA | No. HRA is a percentage of basic pay only. |
| NPS contributions | Yes. Emoluments for NPS include NPA, so the 10% and 14% are worked out on basic pay + NPA + DA. |
| Pension and gratuity | Yes. Emoluments under the CCS (Pension) Rules, 2021 include NPA. |
| Other allowances | Yes, unless that allowance's own order says otherwise. |
| Income tax | Fully taxable as salary. |
How NPA changes your pay
NPA: 20% × ₹56,100 = ₹11,220. Basic plus NPA = ₹67,320.
DA: 60% × ₹67,320 = ₹40,392.
HRA: 30% × ₹56,100 = ₹16,830 (no NPA in the base).
Transport allowance: ₹7,200 × 1.60 = ₹11,520.
Gross: ₹56,100 + ₹11,220 + ₹40,392 + ₹16,830 + ₹11,520 = ₹1,36,062 a month.
A non-doctor in the same cell gets ₹56,100 + ₹33,660 + ₹16,830 + ₹11,520 = ₹1,18,110. The gap of ₹17,952 is NPA (₹11,220) plus DA on NPA (₹6,732). NPS at 10% of ₹1,07,712 (basic + NPA + DA) is ₹10,771.
The cap in action. A doctor at the Level 15 cell of ₹2,05,100 would get 20% = ₹41,020, taking basic plus NPA to ₹2,46,120. That is above ₹2,37,500, so NPA is limited to ₹2,37,500 − ₹2,05,100 = ₹32,400.
To see the rest of your salary, use the 7th CPC salary calculator and add NPA, or open your level page such as Level 10 salary.
What the ban on private practice means
NPA is paid in place of private practice, so a doctor drawing it may not take up private practice of any kind. The allowance is also linked to the post, not the person: a doctor moved to a post that does not meet the conditions above, such as a purely administrative post without clinical duties, may not be entitled to it, depending on the orders that apply. Check your department's NPA order before taking up any outside medical work.
NPA and the 8th Pay Commission
The 8th Pay Commission, whose terms of reference were approved on 28 October 2025 and whose report is due around May 2027, will look at pay and allowances again. Nothing about NPA has been decided, and there is no official fitment factor yet. Because the ₹2,37,500 cap is tied to 7th CPC pay levels, a new pay structure would need a new cap. Doctors' associations objected when the 7th CPC cut NPA from 25% to 20% and left it out of the HRA calculation, so expect both points to come up again. Read more on the 8th Pay Commission, and see the orders on the Department of Expenditure website.