8th Pay Commission: Pay hike possible from 1st January 2026? Millions of government employees got curious

• Will the new year be a happy one for lakhs of central government employees?
• The tenure of the 7th Pay Commission will end on 31 December 2025
• 8th Pay Commission New Salary likely to be implemented

8th Pay Commission: This new year 2026 is going to be really happy for lakhs of central government employees. 8th Pay Commission (8th Pay Commission) has officially started its work and the government has also issued its terms of reference. Now, all eyes are on when and how much the new salary hike will be. The tenure of 7th Pay Commission ends on 31st December 2025 and it is highly likely that the new salary of 8th Pay Commission will be implemented after midnight i.e. 1st January 2026. New Year gift to government employees can come in direct bank account.

The biggest hope on wage growth rests on the fitment factor. This factor will determine the number of times the current basic pay will be increased. Fitment factor can range from 1.83 to 2.46 according to expert estimates. If this happens then the minimum basic salary will be Rs.18,000. From 32,940 to 44,280 Rs. can grow up to In the previous 7th Pay Commission, the fitment factor was 2.57, which led to a significant increase in pay. If the same happens this time too, it will affect the salary hike of the employees.

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Increase in fitment factor will directly affect not only the basic pay but Dearness Allowance (DA), House Rent Allowance (HRA), Traveling Allowance and all other allowances. This means a significant increase in take-home pay. The commission takes into account inflation, cost of living, children’s education, medical treatment, internet bills and food costs. The final fitment factor is determined by considering all these factors. A report by renowned financial company Ambit Capital estimates the fitment factor to be between 1.83 and 2.46. This can lead to a salary increase of 14% to 54%, although 54% is less likely. Other reports also estimate a fitment factor of 1.92 to 2.57.

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1900 Grade Pay Salary: 65,000 to 86,000 (Rs.)
4600 Grade Pay Salary: 1.31 Lakh to 1.74 Lakh (Rs.)
7600 Grade Pay Salary: 1.82 Lakh to 2.41 Lakh (Rs.)
8900 Grade Pay Salary: 2.17 Lakh to 2.89 Lakh (Rs.)

(These figures are based on expert estimates)

The Pay Commission usually submits its report within 18 months. The implementation date has not yet been finalized, but most media reports indicate that employees will begin receiving the new salary from January 1, 2026.