According to the government’s data, approximately 50.14 lakh central government employees and around 69 lakh pensioners will fall under the scope of the 8th CPC.
The Centre has officially set up the 8th Central Pay Commission (8th CPC). Its Terms of Reference (ToR) were notified on November 3, 2025.
In a written reply to Parliament, Pankaj Chaudhary, Minister of State for Finance, confirmed the formation. He said the decision marks the beginning of a new pay and pension review cycle.
According to the government’s data, approximately 50.14 lakh central government employees and around 69 lakh pensioners will fall under the scope of the 8th CPC.
This coverage spans a wide array of central services, including industrial and non-industrial employees, All India Services personnel, defence forces, UT staff, regulatory bodies under Acts of Parliament (excluding the RBI), Supreme Court and High Court employees (for UT jurisdictions), and judicial officers of subordinate courts in UTs.
The 8th CPC will examine and offer recommendations on:
The ToR instructs the Commission to factor in the country’s economic conditions, fiscal prudence, allocation for development and welfare schemes, and long-term pension liability. It must also consider prevailing pay levels in central PSUs and the private sector.
The 8th CPC has been given 18 months from the date of its constitution to submit its recommendations.
However, the actual implementation date will be decided by the government. In Parliament, the minister said that the date will be fixed only after recommendations are finalised.
The government also assured that proper funds will be allocated to implement accepted recommendations.
There had been confusion over whether pensioners would be covered. Some earlier versions of the ToR did not explicitly mention “pensioners” or “family pensioners.”
But the government later clarified that retirement benefits — including pensions — are part of the mandate. This was a major relief for pensioner groups who had feared exclusion.
