Big news for central government employees. Since the announcement of the 8th Pay Commission, government employees have been anxious about its implementation timeline. The government has stated that the 8th Pay Commission will kick off on January 1, 2026, but they haven’t revealed when the committee will actually be formed.
However, if we look at past trends, we can make an educated guess about how long it might take for the committee to be set up after the announcement. The official decision to implement the 8th Pay Commission was made public on January 17, 2025.
So, when can we expect the 8th Pay Commission to be in action?
Historically, the formation of pay commissions has varied in duration. Alay Razvi, a managing partner and legal expert at Accord Juris, shared insights on the timelines of previous pay commissions.
For instance, the 7th Pay Commission was announced on September 25, 2013, and was officially set up on February 28, 2014, which took about five months. The 6th Pay Commission was announced in July 2006 and formed in October 2006, taking roughly three months. The 5th Pay Commission was approved in April 1994 and constituted by June 1994, which was just two months later.
From this, it’s evident that committees are typically formed within a few months after the announcement. While there’s no strict timeline, if the 8th Pay Commission follows the previous patterns, we could see it being formed sometime between March and July 2025.
What do pay commissions do?
Experts note that the government usually sets up a new pay commission every ten years to reassess the salary structure, pensions, and allowances for government employees. These recommendations consider the economic climate, inflation, and other financial factors to ensure employees receive fair compensation. With the 2026 implementation on the horizon, everyone is now waiting to see when the government will officially establish the 8th Pay Commission, as this will impact countless central government employees and pensioners.
The fitment factor plays a key role in determining salary increases. In the 7th Pay Commission, it was set at 2.57, which raised the basic salary for level-1 employees from Rs 7,000 to Rs 18,000. When you factor in dearness allowance (DA), house rent allowance (HRA), and transport allowance, the total salary came to Rs 36,020. Now, if the fitment factor jumps to 2.86 in the upcoming 8th Pay Commission, as some estimates suggest, the basic salary for level-1 could soar from Rs 18,000 to Rs 51,480.