As discussions about the 8th Pay Commission are doing the rounds across the country, people are wondering about its implementation and timeline. Amidst speculations that it might be implemented from January 1, 2026, the central government has made it clear that no decision has yet been made regarding the implementation of the 8th Pay Commission on that date. In a written reply in Parliament, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary stated that "the government will decide the date of implementation of the 8th Pay Commission."
No decision has been taken on the date
In response to the question of whether the central government was preparing to implement the 8th CPC from January 1, 2026, the minister stressed that no decision has been taken on the date yet.
This statement gains prominence as it has come at a time when discussions regarding the implementation of the 8th CPC from 2026 are gaining momentum among the Central government employees.
Terms of Reference already issued
The minister also emphasised that the 8th Pay Commission has already been constituted, with its Terms of Reference (ToR) already issued by the Ministry of Finance on November 3, 2025. Chaudhary also noted that the commission will decide its own process as well as methodology for formulating its recommendations.
According to a government statement, there are a total of 50.14 lakh central government employees and approximately 69 lakh pensioners in the country. These employees will be directly impacted by the 8th Central Pay Commission (CPC).
The expenditure to be incurred to meet the 8th Pay Commission obligation will be significant, and thus the government also mentioned that when the commission's recommendations are accepted, the allocation of the necessary funds will be made in the budget.
The Minister of State for Finance reiterated that the decision on the implementation date of the 8th Pay Commission will be made later. He also stated that the commission may take approximately 18 months from the date of notification to submit its report.
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