More than 1 crore central government employees and pensioners are waiting for the 8th Pay Commission. Many were hoping for a salary hike soon, but now it looks like they will have to wait longer. Reports say the recommendations may be applied only by the end of 2027 or early 2028.
The 7th Pay Commission also took a long time. Then, it took about 2 years and 9 months from the start of the commission to the time the rules were applied. Because of this, it is believed that the 8th Pay Commission, which was announced in January 2025, will not be applied in 2026.
The government announced the formation of the 8th Pay Commission in January 2025. But till now, its Terms of Reference (ToR), which are the working rules, and the name of the chairperson or members have not been decided. More than six months have passed, and this delay is pushing the process further.
What does the government say?
Minister of State for Finance, Pankaj Chaudhary, said in the Rajya Sabha that the government has received many suggestions on this matter. The official notification will be issued soon. He assured that the commission will submit its report within the given time, but this time will start only after the ToR is fixed.
The 7th Pay Commission was implemented in 2016, and its effect on salary was seen from January 1, 2016. A new commission is usually formed every 10 years. According to this, the 8th Commission was to come in 2024–25. But this time, the delay is increasing. With rising inflation, both employees and pensioners are worried about when they will get salary revision.
When will the benefit be received?
Reports say that even if the government completes the process soon, it is difficult for the new recommendations to be applied before the start of 2028. It is not necessary that the 8th Pay Commission will follow the same timeline as the 7th Commission, but chances of delay are high.