8th Pay Commission : The central government has approved the 8th Pay Commission earlier this year. This commission will review the salary and pension of about 50 lakh central government employees and 65 lakh pensioners. It is expected that the new salary structure will be implemented from January 1, 2026. Know what could be the salary structure of the employees.

What is the new change?

At present, the government has not made public the names of the members of the commission or the terms and conditions. But the expectations regarding this have increased among the employees and pensioners.

Salary hike depends on the fitment factor

The most important role in the new salary structure will be played by the Fitment Factor. It is a multiplier by which the new salary is decided by multiplying the existing basic salary. In the 7th Pay Commission this factor was 2.57. According to media reports, in the 8th Pay Commission it can be between 2.5 to 2.86.

 

Employee unions are demanding to increase it to 3.68, which will lead to a good increase in salary.

Dearness allowance will also be included

In every new pay commission, Dearness Allowance (DA) is added to the basic salary. At present, the DA of the Central Government has reached above 50%, so it can be reset in the new pay structure. The new recommendations may also include an increase in House Rent Allowance (HRA), Transport Allowance and other allowances. The new pension calculation method can also be implemented for pensioners. They will also get direct benefit from this.

When will it be implemented?

The commission has not been formed yet, but if the past process is to be believed, it may take 18 to 20 months to prepare the report. If everything happens on time, the new pay structure is unlikely to be implemented from January 2026 because the members of the commission have not been announced yet. From the announcement of the members to making recommendations and passing them to implementation, it takes up to 20 months.

Impact on states

Although the Pay Commission is for the Central Government, many state governments also adopt its recommendations. In such a situation, apart from the Center, state employees can also get its benefits. The 8th Pay Commission may not have been formally started, but with its approval, more than 1 crore people are expected to get relief. All eyes are now on when the commission will be formed and what recommendations will be made in it.