- Central government employees await 8th Pay Commission pay scale changes in February 2026
- December 2025 inflation index for industrial workers remained unchanged at 148.2
- Dearness allowance likely to increase from 58% to 60% starting January 2026
Central government employees and pensioners across India have been eagerly following the latest developments with regard to the 8th Pay Commission, which is expected to soon roll out the changes in pay scales. February 2026 remains a critical month for more than 1.1 crore people, with the spotlight on the first major salary updates of the new year after the conclusion of the 7th Pay Commission cycle on Dec. 31, 2025.
Recently, the Labour Bureau of the Ministry of Labour and Employment reported no change in its All-India Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (AICPI-IW) for December 2025. In December last year, the AICPI-IW remained at 148.2, while the inflation index earlier increased by 0.5 point in November and 0.4 point in October. This index is crucial to determine the scale of revision in dearness allowance (DA).
The DA for central government employees stands at 58% as of December 2025, but an expected 2% hike from January 2026 will raise it to 60%, based on inflation data and estimates.
There are possibilities that central government employees could receive a DA hike ahead of the festival of Holi (Mar. 4), since the Centre is expected to make an announcement regarding the revision early next month.
If this happens, central government employees can get a lump-sum payment for January and February arrears.
8th Pay Commission: Questionnaire Submission Deadline
Earlier this month, the official website of the 8th Pay Commission was launched and the government also sought feedback and comments in connection with the pay, allowances and other key factors from various government departments, ministries, employees and other stakeholders.
In an official statement, the pay commission noted that these inputs are being sought in a "structured manner through a questionnaire with 18 questions hosted on the MyGov.in portal."
The last date for submitting responses is March 16, 2026.
Notably, all responses need to be through the MyGov portal. Paper-based physical, emails or PDF responses are not being considered by the commission.
Salary Hike Projections
Since the effective date of the 8th CPC is Jan. 1, 2026, central government employees can expect arrears for the period between Jan. 1 and the actual date of implementation. However, it is being reported that the rollout of the 8th CPC recommendations could take more than a year.
For those in Levels 1 to 5, the salary hike under a fitment factor of 2.0 or higher translates into a lump sum payout in lakhs.
The minimum basic pay could jump from Rs 18,000 to Rs 46,260 under fitment factor of 2.57. This might effectively mark a 30-34% hike for most levels.
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