New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the 8th Pay Commission, which is expected to come into effect from January 1, 2026.
The pay panel’s recommendations are set to benefit nearly 50 lakh central government employees and 69 lakh pensioners across the country.
The commission will include a chairperson, one part-time member, and a member-secretary, and is mandated to submit its recommendations within 18 months of its formation.
Former Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai will head the panel, which will also submit an interim report to the government.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the exact date of implementation would be decided after the interim report is received, adding that “it is likely to be January 1, 2026.”
The Cabinet had earlier, in January 2025, given in-principle approval for setting up the 8th Pay Commission.
IIM Bangalore Professor Pulak Ghosh has been appointed as the part-time member, while Petroleum Secretary Pankaj Jain will serve as the member-secretary.
