8th Pay Commission: Notification to implementation dates of 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th CPCs compared

4 min read | Updated on July 28, 2025, 08:24 IST

SUMMARY

8th Pay Commission effective date: A look at the history of pay commission dates shows that there has always been a gap of around 1.5 to 2 years between the announcement and final acceptance of the recommendations.

The report of a Central Pay Commission may take 1.5 years to two years before implementation. | Representational image source: Shutterstock

Even as the Government announced the formation of the 8th Central Pay Commission (CPC) in January 2025, the official notification of its terms of reference and appointment of the Chairman and members of the pay panel are yet to take place.

The apparent delay in the notification and appointment of members has led to some concerns among employees and pensioners. However, this is not happening for the first time.

A look at the history of pay commission dates shows that there has always been a gap of around 1.5 to 2 years between the announcement and final acceptance of the recommendations.

However, the good news for employees and pensioners is that the pay commissions in the past have always been implemented with effect from 10 years after the legal implementation of the previous pay commission's report.

For instance, the 4th CPC was implemented from January 1, 1986, the 5th CPC from January 1, 1996, the 6th CPC from January 1, 2006, and the 7th CPC was implemented from January 1, 2016.

Going by the past trend, employees and pensioners can expect the 8th CPC to be implemented effective from January 1, 2026.

Even if the finalisation of the 8th CPC's report is delayed, employees can expect arrears for the back-dated implementation from January 1, 2026. That said, here's a look at the dates of announcement and implementation of the last four pay commissions in India, according to a recent report by Kotak Institutional Equities.

Comparison of 4th to 7th Pay Commission dates in India

Event	4th Pay Commission (1986)	5th Pay Commission (1996)	6th Pay Commission (2006)	7th Pay Commission (2016)	8th Pay Commission (2026)
Date of Implementation (Legal)	1-Jan-1986	1-Jan-1996	1-Jan-2006	1-Jan-2016	1-Jan-2026 (expected)
Date of Commission Announcement	26-Jul-1983	1-Sep-1993	20-Jul-2006	25-Sep-2013	17-Jan-2025
Date of Committee Formation	1-Sep-1983	9-Apr-1994	5-Oct-2006	28-Feb-2014	Yet to be announced
Date of Report Submission	Jun-1986 – May-1987	30-Jan-1997	24-Mar-2008	19-Nov-2015	No update yet
Date of Report Acceptance	19-Sep-1986	24-Oct-1997	14-Aug-2008	29-Jun-2016	To be known later

4th Pay Commission dates

The 4th Pay Commission was implemented with effect from January 1, 1986, over two years after its announcement on July 26, 1983.

The 4th CPC was officially formed on September 1, 1983, and its report was accepted for implementation on September 19, 1986.

5th Pay Commission dates

The 5th Pay Commission was implemented with effect from January 1, 1996, over 2.5 years after its announcement on September 1, 1993.

The 5th CPC was officially formed on April 9, 1994, and it submitted its report on January 30, 1997. The report was finally accepted on October 24, 1997, for implementation.

6th Pay Commission dates

The 6th Pay Commission was implemented with effect from January 1, 2006. The commission was announced on July 20, 2006.

The 6th CPC was officially formed on October 5, 2006, and it submitted its report on March 24, 2008. The report was finally accepted on August 14, 2008, for implementation.

7th Pay Commission dates

The 7th Pay Commission was implemented with effect from January 1, 2016. The commission was announced on September 25, 2013.

The 6th CPC was officially formed on February 28, 2014, and it submitted its report on November 19, 2015. The report was finally accepted on June 29, 2016, for implementation.

8th Pay Commission dates

The Government announced the formation of the 8th CPC in January 2025. However, the pay panel is yet to be officially notified.

Recently, the Government said it has received the Terms of Reference suggestions from the Staff Side (NC-JCM). However, there is no update yet on whether those suggestions were accepted.