8th Pay Commission- There is major update for lakhs of central government employees. More than six months have passed since the Central Government announced the formation of the 8th Central Pay Commission, but its notification has not been issued yet. This delay has raised concerns among employees and officers.

It is believed that the Central Government employees and pensioners may have to wait for a long time for the formation of the 8th Pay Commission . In fact, even before the announcement of the Terms of Reference and the members of the Commission, another hurdle has come up. The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has extended the last date of application for four Under Secretary posts under the Commission for the third time.

What does DoPT say?

In a notice issued on July 3, 2025, DoPT said that applications for these posts will now be accepted till July 31. Earlier, the deadline has been extended twice in May and June. This indicates that till now the department has not found enough eligible candidates.

Original last date: May 21, 2025
First extension: June 10, 2025
Second extension: June 30, 2025
Third extension: July 31, 2025
The process began in April

The DoPT had issued a circular on April 22, 2025, initiating the process of filling four Under Secretary (Level-11) posts under the Commission on deputation. These appointments will be made under the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance and will be in accordance with the rules of the Central Staffing Scheme.

Who can apply?

For these posts, officers from All India Services or any organized Group ‘A’ service of the Central Government who are eligible for Under Secretary level under the Central Staffing Scheme can apply. The appointment of selected officers will remain effective for the entire period of the 8th Pay Commission.

January 2026 deadline in danger

In fact, the current 7th Pay Commission is ending this year, and the 8th Commission was proposed to replace it. But till now neither the Terms of Reference (ToR) have been issued nor the names of the chairman or other members have been announced. This makes it likely that the deadline for implementing the salary hike by January 2026 may be missed.

Did this happen last time too?

The notification of the 7th Pay Commission was issued on 25 September 2013 and its Terms of Reference came on 28 February 2014 i.e. in 156 days. Now if we talk about the 8th Pay Commission, then on 16 January 2025, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav announced its formation. But till 1 July 2025 i.e. even after more than 160 days have passed, no concrete update has come.

Concerns of officers and employees increased

There is confusion among the employees and senior officials regarding this delay. Recently, NC-JCM Secretary Shiv Gopal Mishra wrote a letter to the Cabinet Secretary demanding clarification of the situation. He said that suggestions have already been submitted from the staff side, but there is no ‘timely communication’ from the government.

What was the government’s promise?

In January, the government had said that the names of the chairman and two other members of the commission would be announced soon, but as of July, no official circular has come. Mishra’s letter said that this “uncertainty” has led to confusion among stakeholders.