The year 2026 has begun, and from January 1, government employees have been eagerly awaiting a salary revision, but no official notification has been issued so far. The Eighth Pay Commission covers over 50 lakh central government employees and nearly 69 lakh pensioners. The Union government has approved the formation of the commission, appointing former Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai as its chairperson. Senior IAS officer Pankaj Jain has been named member-secretary, while IIM Bengaluru professor Pulak Ghosh has been appointed as a part-time member, completing the commission’s core structure.
Although the Eighth Pay Commission has been formally constituted, the revised pay structure is yet to be implemented. Since the beginning of the year, employees have been waiting for a government notification, but no final decision on the pay hike has been announced. The Centre has granted the commission 18 months to prepare and submit its report. Once the report is submitted, it will require approval from the Union Cabinet. After cabinet clearance, the implementation of the revised salary structure could take an additional six months, extending the overall timeline.
There is growing curiosity over whether salaries will increase in 2026. As per convention, a central pay commission is set up every ten years. Earlier, the government had issued a notification stating that the Eighth Pay Commission’s recommendations would be effective from January 1, 2026. While the new pay scales have not yet come into force, existing government rules specify that once implemented, any salary revision will be retrospectively applied from January 1, 2026. This means employees will be entitled to arrears from that date.
According to Dr Manjeet Patel, if the commission completes its work within the stipulated timeline, employees may start receiving increased salaries by January 2028. Based on political and administrative indications, the process could be completed by July 2027. A substantial hike is expected under the Eighth Pay Commission, benefiting over 50 lakh employees and around 69 lakh pensioners. Along with basic pay, allowances such as HRA, travel, and medical benefits are also likely to rise, significantly increasing take-home salaries.