The 8th Central Pay Commission is anticipated to be implemented later in 2026 or in the first part of 2027. However, the delay in Terms Of Reference (ToR) and appointment of chairman and member is now increasing the anxiousness of central government employees. Here is the timeline comparison of 4th Vs 5th Vs 6th Vs 7th CPC with 8th Pay Commission.
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The 8th Pay Commission's members and chairperson have not yet been appointed. This is because the Terms of Reference (ToR) are still up for debate. As per protocols, the chairman and commission members cannot be nominated unless the ToR is informed. This delay in ToR and appointment of the chairman and members is now creating uneasiness among more than one crore central government employees and pensioners.
The ToR is a crucial component for any pay commission to commence work. It determines points, such as salary structure, allowances, retirement benefits and others which are subject to recommendations from the commission. The ToR serves as the foundation upon which any pay commission operates. Without a ToR, the commission is not regarded as formally established and cannot start its work.
India has set up 7 Central Pay Commissions so far. Most of the commissions have seen a delay of one month to slightly over seven months between the government announcement and the commission's official notification.
The 4th CPC was announced on 26 July 1983. The ToR and date of notification was on 1 September 1983, a delay of little over 1 month.
After the 5th Pay Commission, the 8th Central Pay Commission has now experienced the longest formal notification delay in recent history. This prolonged delay is exceptional compared to previous commissions. The 8th Commission is probably going to be more delayed than the 5th Commission in terms of finalizing and notifying its ToR, as the 5th Commission took more than 7 months and 9 days to do so. Since its announcement on January 16, 2025, the 8th CPC has been delayed by more than 203 days and the wait is still ongoing.
The 7th CPC was announced in September 2013 and its chairman and ToR were notified in February 2014. However, since the announcement of the 8th Pay Commission on January 16, 2025, the ToR of the Commission are still pending. The government has also not officially announced the appointment of the chairman and other members of the commission. This indicates a delay in the formation of the 8th CPC.
6th Pay Commission was formed in October 2006. The report/recommendation was sent in March 2008 and it got approval in August 2008. The Implementation of 6th pay commission was from January 1, 2006 retrospectively.
Minister Of State In The Ministry Of Finance Pankaj Chaudhary had last month responded saying that it has received suggestions from the National Council of Joint Consultative Machinery (NC-JCM), as part of the stakeholder consultation. Chaudhary added that Inputs have been sought from major stakeholders, including Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Home Affairs, Department of Personnel & Training and from States.
More than 1.2 crore central government employees and pensioners are eagerly awaiting the formation of the 8th Pay Commission for their salaries and pension revisions. The Staff Side has appealed to the government to issue clear guidelines on the finalized ToRs of the 8th CPC at the earliest, to dispel any ambiguity and restore confidence among the workforce. The Staff Side further requested the government to clarify that the benefits of pay fixation and revision under the 8th CPC shall also be extended to all central government pensioners, thereby removing doubts and ensuring parity and fairness in treatment.
The prospects for the Commission's implementation on January 1, 2026, appear bleak. While the tenure of the 7th Pay Commission ends on 31 December 2025 and the constitution of the new Commission is in limbo. Now, comparing the timeline of 4th, 5th, 6th and the 7th pay commission the central government employees and pensioners are increasingly becoming anxious.
Meanwhile, DoPT has decided to extend the last date for submission of applications till 31.07.2025. This is the third extension that DoPT has proposed, thus possibly meaning that the applications from eligible candidates for these key posts in the pay panel has yet not been received yet. Earlier it DoPT had proposed to fill up the 4 posts of Under Secretary (Level 11) in the 8th Central Pay Commission (CPC) on deputation basis under the Central Staffing Scheme under D/o Expenditure. The applications were invited for the post vide circular of even number dated 22.04.2025.
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