Last Updated:
8th Pay Commission: As the new pay panel is expected to be implemented from January 1, 2026, speculations are rife that it might be delayed; here’s what we know so far:
8th Pay Commission: The terms of reference (ToF) as well as members, along with its chairman, are yet to be announced.
8th Pay Commission: As the central government has already announced the 8th Pay Commission, employees are awaiting further road map on when it will be implemented. As the current 7th Pay Commission’s tenure is set to be over by December 31 this year, the new 8th Pay Commission is expected to be implemented from January 1, 2026. However, speculations are rife that it might be delayed and will likely take more time than the expected January 1, 2026.
The Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the 8th Pay Commission on January 16, 2025, for the revision of salaries and pensions of central government employees. The terms of reference (ToF) and members, as well as chairman, have not been announced yet.
“The 8th Pay Commission implementation process will follow the expiration of the 7th Pay Commission term in 2026,” said Rohitaashv Sinha, Partner, King Stubb & Kasiva, Advocates and Attorneys, according to an ET report.
The Pay Commissions have become a regular 10-year process to conduct salary structure evaluations for central government employees, he added.
Sinha, according to the report, the 8th Pay Commission faces a low possibility of implementation from January 1, 2026. “However, the implementation date of the 7th Pay Commission occurred in 2016 thus indicating the 8th Pay Commission recommendations will execute likely in 2026.”
However, on February 4, 2025, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, in his reply to questions raised in the Rajya Sabha regarding the constitution of the Commission and the date of appointment of members, said the government has approved the constitution of the 8th Central Pay Commission.
The central government typically constitutes a pay commission every 10 years. The current 7th Pay Commission was formed in 2014 and its recommendations were implemented from January 2016, exactly 10 years after the 6th Pay Commission implementation on January 1, 2006.
While announcing the 8th Pay Commission on January 16, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw explained the rationale for constituting the pay panel well in advance. “The last Pay Commission began in 2016, and its term will conclude in 2026. The establishment of the 8th Pay Commission in 2025 ensures sufficient time for recommendations to be implemented before the 7th Pay Commission period ends,” Vaishnaw had said.
He added that the chairman and two members of the 8th Pay Commission will be appointed shortly.
7th Pay Commission: DA Merger Demand
Meanwhile, in a meeting convened by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), the National Council of Joint Consultative Machinery (NC-JCM) urged the merger of dearness allowance (DA) with the basic salaries of central government employees ahead of the implementation of the 8th Pay Commission, according to an NDTV Profit report. The NC-JCM, a formal body comprising bureaucrats and employee union leaders, discussed the matter with DoPT Secretary Rachna Shah on Monday.
During the discussions, it was highlighted that DA, designed to counteract inflation, has already surpassed the 50 per cent threshold.
