Eighth Pay Commission
A big question circulating among the central employees and pensioners regarding the 8th Pay Commission is that if an employee retires by 31st December 2025, will he not get the benefit of revised pension under the new Pay Commission? The government has now clearly clarified its position on this issue.
The Finance Ministry has said that changes in pension are not implemented automatically. That is, no amendment in pension will be considered just because Finance Act, 2025 is passed. All decisions related to pension are taken as per the prescribed rules, such as Central Civil Services Rules, 2021 and Extraordinary Pension Rules, 2023. Further action will be taken under these rules only.
In fact, a confusion had arisen regarding a provision of the Finance Act, 2025 that perhaps some distinction was being made between old and new pensioners. Some people felt that the employees who retire before December 31, 2025, may be deprived of the benefits of the 8th Pay Commission. But the government has termed these apprehensions as baseless.
There will be no discrimination against anyone
Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary clarified in the Lok Sabha that the 8th Central Pay Commission has been given the authority to give recommendations related to salary, allowances and pension. That is, the commission will give its recommendations and after that when the government accepts them, only then changes will be made as per the relevant rules. This means that no pensioner will automatically be discriminated against. The ministry has also clarified that the Finance Act, 2025 has only given legal validity to the existing pension rules. There has been no change in either civil pension or defense pension. Therefore, at present it is not correct to talk about any new difference between old and new pensioners.
Official website goes live
Meanwhile, the official website of the 8th Pay Commission has also been started. The government has created an online platform to seek suggestions from employees, pensioners and general public. A questionnaire consisting of 18 questions has been released on the MyGov portal, on which responses can be given till March 16. In this, ministries, departments, employee organizations, retired employees, researchers and common citizens have also been given the opportunity to give their opinion. Overall, the clear message is that no separate rule has been implemented for those retiring before December 31, 2025. The final decision will be taken only after the recommendations of the 8th Pay Commission and the orders of the government.
