8th Pay Panel Formed, Govt Sets 18-Month Deadline for Recommendations

by

8th Pay Commission: Millions of government employees and pensioners nationwide are looking forward to the implementation of the 8th Pay Commission. On Tuesday, February 3, 2026, the government confirmed in the Rajya Sabha that the 8th Pay Commission has been established and will provide its recommendations within the designated timeframe. This clarification was made in response to a query from Rajya Sabha MP Javed Ali Khan.

The 8th Pay Commission is expected to deliver its recommendations in 18 months

Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary mentioned in a written response that the government announced the formation and terms of reference for the 8th Pay Commission on November 3, 2025. As per the announcement, the Pay Commission is required to submit its recommendations to the government within 18 months from its formation date. This indicates that the Commission’s timeline is already defined, and the process will move forward accordingly.

The Minister of State for Finance has also made it clear that the 8th Pay Commission is responsible for offering recommendations on all significant elements of salaries, allowances, and pensions for central government employees. The Commission will examine these matters and present its findings to the government, which will then make further decisions based on that report.

There will be no discrimination among pensioners

In response to another inquiry, it was asked whether the Finance Bill 2025 allowed the central government to differentiate between pensioners based on their retirement dates. Pankaj Chaudhary confirmed that no such distinctions are being made among pensioners according to their retirement dates.

He mentioned that the pensions of central government employees are governed by the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 2021 (previously known as CCS Pension Rules, 1972) and the Central Civil Services (Extraordinary Pension) Rules, 2023. Additionally, the recommendations from the approved Pay Commission are enacted through directives issued by the central government periodically.

No alterations to pension rules

The government also emphasized that pay commissions are specialized bodies that suggest various pay scales, allowances, and pensions for different groups of government employees. Part IV of the Finance Act 2025 affirms the current pension rules and the pension obligations to be fulfilled from the Consolidated Fund of India. It does not introduce any modifications to the existing civil or defense pensions.

Recent updates regarding the 8th Pay Commission

The government also reported that in January 2026, the NC-JCM (Staff Side) notified it that office space had been designated for the 8th Pay Commission. Moreover, in January, the government released a new vacancy circular for filling positions such as PSOs, Sr. PPs, PPSs, and PSs under the Pay Commission.

Overall, the government’s response makes it clear that the 8th Pay Commission is proceeding according to the established process and timelines. Furthermore, there are no changes to the current pension rules at this time.

Related Stories

Latest