As of this morning, January 3, 2026, every day of service you render is being recorded against a future pay scale that will likely be 25-30% higher than what you see on your current payslip. The 7th CPC is legally history, and the administrative machinery for the 8th CPC is already gearing up at the Chanderlok Building in Janpath.

Evidence on the Ground: The Commission is Hiring

For skeptics asking “Is it really happening?”, we have concrete proof. The Commission has already initiated the process to staff its headquarters. As per the latest Vacancy Circular (No. 10/04/2025-Estt/8CPC), the hunt is on for Principal Staff Officers (PSOs) and Senior Principal Private Secretaries to manage the commission’s day-to-day operations.

This “staffing up” phase is the first critical step before the official meetings with Employee Unions begin. The team being assembled now will be responsible for processing the thousands of demand charters that will soon flood in from federations across India.

The “25% to 30%” Formula

Buzz is growing in North Block that the starting hike could be in the range of 25-30%. While unions are pushing for a Fitment Factor of 2.86 (which would nearly double the minimum pay), conservative estimates suggest the government might settle for a factor that yields a ~30% immediate relief on Basic Pay, similar to the 6th CPC model.

What to Watch Next Week?

With the “New Year” festivities ending tomorrow, all eyes are on the Ministry of Finance for the announcement of the First Official Meeting date. It is expected that the Commission, led by its Chairman, will invite major federations like the NC-JCM for preliminary discussions before the end of January.