8th Pay Commission: The Finance Ministry finally broke its silence over 8th pay panel delay, stating that the appointment of members and the chairperson would be finalised once the commission is notified by the government.
The notification of the 8th Pay Commission is pending since the finance ministry is yet to finalise the Terms of Reference (ToR), which will form the basis for the revision in salaries and pensions for over 1 crore central government employees and pensioners.
MoS Chahudhary replies on 8th Pay Commission delay
In the Lok Sabha, Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance Pankaj Chaudhary replied to queries raised by parliamentarians T R Balu and Anand Bhadauria. Members asked the government whether it has notified the 8th Pay Commission which was announced in January 2026.
They also questioned the reasons for not setting up the 8th pay panel even after lapse of six months of announcing the commission.
Inputs have been sought from major stakeholders on 8th Pay Commission, says govt
To these questions, Chaudhary replied, “It has been decided by the government to constitute the 8th Central Pay Commission (CPC). Inputs have been sought from major stakeholders, including Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Home Affairs, Department of Personnel & Training and from states.”
The members also asked the finance ministry about a possible timeline by which the government would appoint the members of the commission and its chairperson.
To this, the MoS Finance replied that “the chairperson and members of the 8th CPC would be appointed once the 8th CPC is notified by the Government.”
On being asked about the timeline to implement the 8th Pay Commission recommendations, the minister said that the implementation would be taken up once the recommendations are made by the 8th CPC and are accepted by the government.
What is the importance of the 8th Pay Commission?
The recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission came into effect from January 2016 and traditionally a new pay commission is constituted every 10 years. In such a situation, the appointment of the 8th Pay Commission was expected in 2024-25, so that new recommendations could be implemented from 2026. Amid rising inflation, cost of living and demands for salary hike by government employees, this commission will not only increase their salary, but will also decide on many important aspects like pension, allowances and minimum wage.
Why has the notification not come yet?
According to sources, despite the formal announcement in January, the delay in the notification may be due to administrative or procedural reasons. It is expected that the appointment of the chairperson and other members of the commission can be done by the end of 2025, and the Terms of Reference (ToR) will include things like review of minimum wage, dearness allowance (DA), pension rates.
Why are employees restless?
Central government employees and pensioners across the country are eagerly waiting for formally setting up the commission with the appointment of members and finalisation of ToR. While on the one hand inflation is rising rapidly, on the other hand, the lack of salary revision for a long time has affected the real purchasing power of the employees. They hope that their financial condition will improve from the 8th Pay Commission and the pay scale will be changed in accordance with today’s requirements.