8th Pay Commission 2026: Salary Hike & Fitment Factor

8th Pay Commission: Expected Salary Rise for Central Government Employees

Since formal slabs have not yet been announced by the 8th Pay Commission, a potential fitment ratio of 2.86 suggests that salaries could increase by much to ₹19,000 per month. Updated @ 5:03 PM IST on October 28, 2025 By the HT News Desk Distribute The 8th Central Pay Commission's Terms of Reference (ToR) were adopted by the Union Cabinet on Wednesday, opening the door for a new review of central government employees' pay, benefits, and pensions. The pay panel's recommendations could result in large pay rises for lakhs of workers when they go into effect on January 1, 2026.
According to official estimates, the move will benefit approximately 50 lakh serving central government employees and 69 lakh pensioners nationwide. (Bloomberg) According to official estimates, the move will benefit approximately 50 lakh serving central government employees and 69 lakh pensioners nationwide. (Bloomberg) According to official estimates, the move will benefit approximately 50 lakh serving central government employees and 69 lakh pensioners nationwide.
Official Source for Pay Commission Notices:
🔗 https://doe.gov.in/central-pay-commission

Ranjana Prakash Desai, a former Supreme Court judge, will be leading the commission.
One part-time member and one member-secretary will be part of the panel
It will have 18 months to submit its report from the date of constitution
It will also present an interim report to the government
Information and broadcasting minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the final date for implementation will be decided after the interim report is submitted
It is mostly expected to be January 1, 2026
Earlier, in January 2025, the Cabinet approved the Commission's formation in principle.
For official government circulars and announcements:
🔗 https://doe.gov.in/whats-new

The 8th Pay Commission has not yet released official salary slabs
Salaries could rise by up to ₹19,000 per month, according to projections based on a potential fitment factor of 2.86
For a mid-level government employee currently earning ₹1 lakh per month, salary increases could vary depending on the budgetary allocation:
With a ₹1.75 lakh crore budgetary allocation: The salary may rise to ₹1.14 lakh/month, a rise of 14%
With a ₹2 lakh crore allocation: The salary may rise to ₹1.16 lakh/month, a 16% rise
With a ₹2.25 lakh crore allocation: The salary might increase to ₹1.18 lakh/month, which is more than 18% increase
By April 2025, the 8th Pay Commission is supposed to be established.
Reports indicates that the recommendations will probably be put into the effect between the year 2026 and 2027.

The fitment factor determines how much salaries and pensions are multiplied under a new pay structure
It will be one of the most debated aspects of the 8th Pay Commission
The 7th Pay Commission which was implemented in year 2016 had used a 2.57 fitment factor.
As a result, the minimum basic salary of employees will be increased from ₹7,000 to ₹18,000.
The minimum salary may increase from ₹18,000 to ₹46,260 per month if the same aspect is used again once.
The minimum pension might be increased from 9,000 to 23,130 rupees.
Former Finance Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg has suggested that the new fitment factor could be closer to 1.92
This would still result in a 92% increase, taking the minimum basic pay to ₹34,560
Some experts believe the same factor as 7th Pay Commission may be unrealistic

The 8th Pay Commission will impact approximately 50 lakh serving central government employees and 69 lakh pensioners
It is mostly expected to be implemented from January 1, 2026
Salary rise may go up to ₹19,000 per month depending on budget allocation and final fitment factor
Fitment factor debate remains key, with estimates ranging from 1.92 to 2.86
Final details will be known once the commission submits its report and the government approves the recommendations