New Year, New Rules: Latest Government Circulars & OMs (Jan 1–6, 2026)

NEW DELHI: The first week of 2026 has seen a flurry of activity across government departments as the 8th Pay Commission era officially begins. From mandatory property returns to new identity card protocols for Railway staff, several ministries have issued critical Office Memorandums (OMs) that affect both active and retired employees.

1. Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) and Finance Update

• Immovable Property Return (IPR) 2026: The Controller General of Accounts (CGA) has issued an order (Dated 05.01.2026) for the mandatory online submission of IPR on SPARROW for the year ending 31.12.2025.
• 8th Pay Commission Recruitment: A fresh notification (Dated 29.12.2025) has been issued for filling up the post of Principal Staff Officer (PSO) in the 8th Central Pay Commission on a deputation basis.
• Promotion Orders: Major promotion orders were released on Jan 2, 2026, for Assistant Accounts Officers (AAOs) as Senior Accounts Officers (Panel of 2025).
• Manual for Procurement: The Second Edition 2025 of the Manual for Procurement of Works was officially released on January 5, 2026.

2. Ministry of Railways Circulars

• New Identity Cards: A major Railway Board order (Dated 06.01.2026) has introduced new-design Identity Cards for all regular employees and contract service providers in Indian Railways.
• Gazette Notifications: Multiple Section 3D notifications and 20E notifications for land acquisition were published on Jan 6, 2026, to accelerate infrastructure projects.
• Bullet Train Milestone: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed the breakthrough of the 1.5 km long MT-5 mountain tunnel on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route.

3. Home, Defense, and External Updates

• MHA Appointments: Shri Guriqbal Singh (IPS:2012) has been appointed as Director in the Ministry of Home Affairs effective from Jan 2, 2026.
• CGHS City Mapping: New orders (Dated 05.01.2026) clarify the city-class/tier mapping for CGHS rates in accordance with current HRA continuation orders.
• Small Savings Interest: The Department of Posts issued SB Order 17/2025 confirming the interest rates for small savings schemes effective from 01.01.2026.