New Delhi: The Union Cabinet has already approved the formation of the 8th Pay Commission, raising expectations of a salary hike among lakhs of central government employees and pensioners. The government has also announced the members of the Central Pay Commission, which will be chaired by Justice (Retd.) Ranjana Prakash Desai. Pankaj Jain, a 1990-batch IAS officer, has been appointed as member-secretary, while Pulak Ghosh, a professor at IIM Bengaluru, will serve as a part-time member.
Why Salaries Will Not Increase Immediately
Despite the announcement, central government employees will not see an immediate increase in their salaries from January 1. This is because the 8th Pay Commission has only been constituted and has not yet submitted its recommendations. Historically, pay commission recommendations are implemented once every ten years. Based on this trend, the government has indicated that the revised pay structure is expected to be implemented from January 1, 2026.
However, implementation depends entirely on when the commission completes its review and submits its report, followed by government approval.
What Happens from January 1, 2026?
Although salaries will not rise immediately, the new pay commission is considered to have come into effect from January 1, 2026. This means that once the revised pay structure is approved and implemented, employees and pensioners will be entitled to arrears. These arrears will be calculated from January 1, 2026, until the actual date when the salary hike is notified and paid.
This process ensures that employees do not lose out financially due to delays in implementation.
Timeline Still Unclear
At present, there is no official timeline for when the 8th Pay Commission will submit its recommendations. The commission must study pay structures, allowances, pensions, and other service conditions before submitting its report to the government. Only after this process is completed will the Centre take a final call on implementing the revised pay scales.
Until then, employees will continue to receive salaries under the existing pay structure, with the expectation of arrears in the future.
