The government has not officially announced the implementation date of the 8th Pay Commission. It is expected to follow the usual cycle of periodic pay revisions, but no confirmed timeline has been notified yet.
The 8th Pay Commission will revise the salaries of over 50 lakh central government employees and 60 lakh pensioners. It is expected to update pay structures, allowances, and the overall compensation framework to reflect current economic conditions. The 8th Pay Commission will ensure fair and competitive remuneration for government staff.
Key Highlights
- The 8th Pay Commission is expected to bring significant salary hikes, revised salary slabs, and updated pay matrix for central government employees and pensioners.
- Projected salary hike for central government employees is expected between 30-34%.
- Fitment factor will range between 1.83 and 2.46, directly impacting salary increases.
- Allowances like DA, HRA, and TA will be recalculated based on the updated basic pay.
The 8th Pay Commission, announced by the government, will assess the current salary structure of central government employees. Before the 8th Pay Commission, the 7th Pay Commission introduced a structured pay matrix that replaced the previous grade pay system with levels. Over the years, the pay structure of central government employees has evolved significantly.
The 8th Pay Commission is expected to come into effect on 1 January 2026, after the usual gap of 10 years between the Pay Commissions. Its implementation is likely to help about 50 lakh central government employees, including defence personnel, and 65 lakh pensioners.
Note: The Finance Ministry has not yet formed the 8th Pay Commission and has clarified that there is no active proposal under consideration. Therefore, the January 2026 rollout is speculative, pending official notification.
Recent government statements have clarified that there is no proposal to merge Dearness Allowance (DA) with basic pay, and no decision has been taken to set up the 8th Pay Commission.
The Finance Ministry has confirmed that DA will continue to be revised twice a year as per the existing system, and no committee or Terms of Reference (ToR) for the 8th Pay Commission has been formed yet. These clarifications indicate that all projections about salary revisions, DA merger, or pay matrix changes remain speculative until an official notification is issued.
The 8th Pay Commission is expected to bring a significant salary hike for central government employees, with an estimated increase in the range of 30-34%, subject to a projected fitment factor of 1.83 and 2.46.
However, the Dearness Allowance (DA) component, currently standing at 55% of basic pay, will be reset to zero once the 8th Pay Commission is implemented. This reset means that while the fitment factor may increase basic salaries substantially, the effective hike will be slightly lower due to the removal of the DA.
Expected to range between 1.83 and 2.46, the 8th pay commission fitment factor will directly impact the basic salaries across all pay matrix levels.
A higher fitment factor would lead to significant salary hikes, ensuring better compensation for government employees and pensioners. This revision aims to align salaries with current economic conditions, offering a more substantial increase compared to previous pay commissions.
The following table shows the projected salaries across different pay matrices based on the projected fitment factor range of 1.83 to 2.46.
Pay Matrix Level | 7th CPC Basic Salary | 8th CPC Basic Salary (Low End - 1.83) | 8th CPC Basic Salary (High End - 2.46) |
| Pay Matrix Level 1 | Rs. 18,000 | Rs. 32,940 | Rs. 44,280 |
| Pay Matrix Level 2 | Rs. 19,900 | Rs. 36,417 | Rs. 48,974 |
| Pay Matrix Level 3 | Rs. 21,700 | Rs. 39,711 | Rs. 53,466 |
| Pay Matrix Level 4 | Rs. 25,500 | Rs. 46,665 | Rs. 62,850 |
| Pay Matrix Level 5 | Rs. 29,200 | Rs. 53,416 | Rs. 71,923 |
| Pay Matrix Level 6 | Rs. 35,400 | Rs. 64,872 | Rs. 87,084 |
| Pay Matrix Level 7 | Rs. 44,900 | Rs. 82,207 | Rs. 110,554 |
| Pay Matrix Level 8 | Rs. 47,600 | Rs. 87,168 | Rs. 117,177 |
| Pay Matrix Level 9 | Rs. 53,100 | Rs. 97,059 | Rs. 130,386 |
| Pay Matrix Level 10 | Rs. 56,100 | Rs. 102,423 | Rs. 137,826 |
| Pay Matrix Level 11 | Rs. 67,700 | Rs. 123,381 | Rs. 166,452 |
| Pay Matrix Level 12 | Rs. 78,800 | Rs. 144,144 | Rs. 193,728 |
| Pay Matrix Level 13 | Rs. 1,23,100 | Rs. 225,473 | Rs. 302,226 |
| Pay Matrix Level 13A | Rs. 1,31,100 | Rs. 240,513 | Rs. 322,311 |
| Pay Matrix Level 14 | Rs. 1,44,200 | Rs. 263,886 | Rs. 354,172 |
| Pay Matrix Level 15 | Rs. 1,82,200 | Rs. 333,426 | Rs. 448,713 |
| Pay Matrix Level 16 | Rs. 2,05,400 | Rs. 375,882 | Rs. 505,584 |
| Pay Matrix Level 17 | Rs. 2,25,000 | Rs. 411,750 | Rs. 553,500 |
| Pay Matrix Level 18 | Rs. 2,50,000 | Rs. 457,500 | Rs. 615,000 |
Note: The Finance Ministry has clarified that no decision has been taken on setting up the 8th Pay Commission and that DA will not be merged with basic pay. Therefore, the projected salary hikes based on DA merger are speculative and not officially confirmed.
The table below represents the dates of announcement for previous pay commissions, including the delay between each.
Pay Commission | Date of Announcement | Date of Notification (Including ToR) | Delay (From Announcement to Formation) |
4th Pay Commission | 26 July 1983 | 1 September 1983 | 1 month |
5th Pay Commission | 1 September 1993 | 9 April 1994 | 7 months 9 days |
6th Pay Commission | 20 July 2006 | 5 October 2006 | 2.5 months |
7th Pay Commission | 25 September 2013 | 28 February 2014 | 5 months |
8th Pay Commission | 16 January 2025 | Not yet notified | 203 days and counting |
Note: Despite the long gap since Cabinet announcement speculation, no Terms of Reference (ToR) have been issued. The Finance Ministry has confirmed that no proposal for 8th CPC has been initiated yet.
The 8th Pay Commission calculator estimates the projected salary and pension hike for central government officials based on basic salary, fitment factor, dearness allowance (DA), and HRA classification. It provides a quick way to assess the potential salary adjustments under the upcoming pay revisions.
The 8th Pay Commission will likely introduce significant modifications to the remuneration framework, allowances, and pension-related benefits of the central government workforce. Although the eventual suggestions have yet to be issued, the potential salary increases and policy modifications might have a substantial impact on multiple government officials and pensioners.