8th Pay Commission: New information is emerging regarding the 8th Pay Commission (8th CPC). The central government announced on Monday that a total of 5.014 million central government employees are currently working in the country, while approximately 6.9 million are pensioners, who will benefit from the implementation of the 8th Central Pay Commission.
8th Pay Commission: New information is emerging regarding the 8th Pay Commission (8th CPC). The central government on Monday informed that currently a total of 50.14 lakh central employees are working in the country, while there are about 69 lakh pensioners, who will benefit from the implementation of the 8th Central Pay Commission. Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary gave this information while giving a written reply in the Lok Sabha. The MPs had asked several questions regarding the date of implementation of the 8th Pay Commission, Terms of Reference (ToR), fund allocation in the budget and the government’s preparedness on the complaints of employees and pensioners. The minister clarified that the 8th Pay Commission will give its recommendations within 18 months of its formation, while the date of implementation will be decided by the government.
Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, in a written reply to the Lok Sabha on Monday, December 8, 2025, stated that it is currently undecided whether the 8th Pay Commission will be implemented from January 1, 2026. Recently, speculation on social media and among employee organizations had been rife that the new Pay Commission would be implemented by the beginning of 2026, but the government put an end to these speculations. According to the minister, the Commission may take up to 18 months from the date of notification (November 3, 2025) to submit its report, after which a further decision will be taken.
What were the questions?
In the Lok Sabha, MPs—N.K. Premachandran, Thanga Tamilselvan, and Dharmendra Yadav—posed several important questions to the government. These included the 8th Pay Commission’s implementation date, the status of the Terms of Reference (ToR), funding for it in the 2026-27 budget, and the government’s response to the concerns of employees and pensioners. It was also asked whether the Commission was consulting with employee unions, pensioner associations, and state governments before making its final recommendations. To all these questions, the government clarified that the Commission has been constituted and its work is ongoing.
What the Government Said
The government stated that the Terms of Reference of the 8th Pay Commission were notified on November 3, 2025. According to the minister, there are 50.14 lakh central employees and approximately 69 lakh pensioners in the country who will directly benefit from the Commission’s recommendations. The government also stated that the central government will arrange appropriate funds to implement the approved recommendations of the 8th CPC. Furthermore, the Commission will determine its own process and methodology for formulating its recommendations, meaning the Commission will prepare the entire blueprint for changes in salaries, allowances, and pensions.
