8th Pay Commission Salary: Will Minimum Basic Pay Reach INR 51,480 Under 8th CPC? Check Expected Salary Hike and Fitment Factor Here
The Union Budget 2026 remained silent on the 8th Pay Commission, disappointing 1.2 crore employees and pensioners. While the commission was notified in November 2025, it has 18 months to submit its report, pushing actual hikes to mid-2027 or 2028. The revision remains effective from January 1, 2026, meaning arrears will be paid. Scroll below to know about expected salary hike under 8th CPC.
New Delhi, February 4: Despite mounting anticipation from nearly 1.2 crore central government employees and pensioners, the Union Budget 2026, presented on February 1, made no direct allocation or announcement regarding the 8th Central Pay Commission (8th CPC) salary hike. While the government officially notified the constitution of the Commission in November 2025, the Finance Ministry clarified this week that the body has been given 18 months to finalise its recommendations.
This timeline suggests that while the "effective date" for a pay revision remains January 1, 2026, actual increases in take-home pay may not materialise until mid-2027 or early 2028, leading to significant arrears for staff. 8th Pay Commission Latest News: How Much Fitment Factor Is Expected in the 8th CPC? Check Details.
Government Response and Official Timeline
On February 3, the Minister of State for Finance, Pankaj Chaudhary, provided a written reply in the Rajya Sabha confirming that the 8th Pay Commission is now officially functional. According to the resolution dated November 3, 2025, the Commission is mandated to examine the existing pay structure and submit its report within 18 months.
Experts note that this 18-month window is standard practice, as the Commission must evaluate inflation trends, real wage erosion, and the government's fiscal capacity before proposing a new pay matrix. Consequently, the silence in the 2026 Budget was expected by analysts, as the government rarely commits to a specific financial outlay before receiving the Commission's final report.
Expected Salary Hike and Fitment Factor
While the official figures are still under deliberation, early projections based on previous trends suggest a substantial boost for government personnel. The "fitment factor" - a multiplier used to arrive at the new basic pay - is a key point of discussion.
Projected Fitment Factor: Speculated to range between 2.28 and 2.86.
Minimum Basic Pay: Could potentially rise from the current INR 18,000 to anywhere between INR 41,000 and INR 51,480.
Estimated Hike: Most experts predict an overall salary and pension increase of 30 per cent to 34 per cent.
Growing Discontent and Strike Warnings
The lack of immediate relief in the Budget has sparked friction between the government and labor unions. The Confederation of Central Government Employees & Workers (CCGEW) has announced a nationwide one-day strike on February 12. Unions are demanding that the government expedite the 8th CPC process and provide interim relief, citing the rising cost of living and high inflation. 8th Pay Commission News: Nirmala Sitharaman’s Budget 2026 Speech Leaves Central Government Employees Waiting Over Implementation of 8th CPC.
The Arrears Outlook
A silver lining for employees is the tradition of retrospective implementation. Historically, even if a Pay Commission takes two years to finalise, the benefits are backdated to the designated start date - in this case, January 1, 2026. If the revised scales are only notified in 2027, employees will receive a lump-sum "arrear" payment covering the difference for the intervening months.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 04, 2026 08:25 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).