The Eighth Pay Commission, headed by Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, recently concluded its hearing in Puducherry on September 9. The next meetings will be held in Chandigarh on September 16, 17 and 18.
Since its inception on November 3, 2025, the 8th Wages Commission has held several meetings in different cities of the country.
During these meetings, employee grievances related to salary revisions were discussed, compliance factor decisions, employee morale, pension reforms and merger of DA with basic pay, among other issues, were flagged by prominent employee unions and stakeholders.
Trade unions of workers and pensioners called 8th payment commission The Commission will consider combining DA with basic pay once it exceeds 25%. The proposal, if passed, could accelerate wage growth for central government employees, especially those at lower pay levels.
Why employee groups want to merge DA with base salary
According to the All India Pension Scheme Employees’ Federation (AINPSEF), such a merger will help achieve salary increase will happen faster in the coming years, and workers won’t have to wait 10 years for a reasonable raise.
On the other hand, the National Council – Joint Consultative Mechanism (NC-JCM) in its official memorandum has submitted a demand to the 8th Pay Commission, urging it to merge DA with Basic Pay once DA exceeds 25% of Basic Pay. Similarly, other prominent trade unions have called 8th payment commission combine DA with base salary at certain thresholds.
Under the current system, the DA is reviewed twice a year. However, it is not automatically combined with the basic salary. AINPSEF said the merger will help employees receive constructive salary increases faster, especially those facing rising cost of living in major cities of the country.
The organizations have also offered higher annual allowances than those recommended by the 8th Pay Commission. For example, NC-JCM and AINPSEF proposed annual increases of 6% and 7%, respectively.
How a level 6 employee’s salary can double in 7 years
To understand how the proposed DA merger could impact wages, let’s consider a Level 6 Central Government employee with an existing salary of ₹35,400 as provided under the 7th Pay Commission. Now, assuming a matching factor of 2.1, the revised basic pay as per 8th Pay Commission will be ₹74,340.
Assuming a 7% annual increase as suggested by AINPSEF, and an average 4% increase in DA, an employee’s base salary is estimated to reach ₹1,19,374 by January 1, 2033. With an assumed DA rate of around 28%, the DA amount would be ₹33,425. Estimated gross salary including basic salary and DA would be approx. ₹1,52,798 as shown in the following table.
Payroll level 6: from 2026 to 2033.
|
Details |
Quantity |
|---|---|
| Existing Basic Salary under 7th CPC | ₹35 400 |
| Estimated 8th CPC Compliance Rate | 2.1 |
| Revised Basic Salary from January 2026 | ₹74 340 |
| Estimated annual growth | 7% |
| Estimated annual increase in DA | 4 percentage points |
| Estimated base salary as of January 1, 2033 | ₹1,19,374 |
| Estimated DA rate in 2033 | 28% |
| Approximate DA amount | ₹33 425 |
| Estimated gross wages in 2033 (base pay + DA) | ₹1,52,798 |
Note. The figures above are for illustrative purposes only.*
What happens if DA is combined with base pay?
The example discussed above shows that the employee’s estimated gross salary of ₹1,52,798 by January 2033 would be more than double the estimated revised base salary ₹74,340 in January 2026.
Therefore, if DA is combined with base salary at this stage, the employee’s final base salary could be approx. ₹1,52,798 according to the proposed scenario. Here’s how your base salary could double in seven years.
Please note that the above calculation does not represent the approved salary structure. The 8th Pay Commission is currently in the consultation phase and any specific official figures will be revealed only after the final report of the 8th Pay Commission is submitted to the Commission.