Archive · 11 Sep 2026
8th Pay Commission DA Merger Could Double Level 6 Salary
The 8th Pay Commission is studying possible salary changes for central government employees.
Some employee groups want dearness allowance, or DA, to be added to basic pay when DA passes 25%.
They say this could give workers bigger salary increases sooner.
The article uses a Level 6 employee whose current basic pay is ₹35,400 as an example.
With an assumed fitment factor of 2.1, the basic pay could become ₹74,340 in January 2026.
If the employee receives a 7% yearly increment and DA rises by four percentage points each year, basic pay could reach ₹1,19,374 by January 2033.
With DA estimated at 28%, the total of basic pay and DA could be about ₹1,52,798.
If DA were merged into basic pay then, the basic salary could roughly double compared with the 2026 revised basic pay.
These figures are examples based on assumptions, not confirmed salary changes.
Employee and pensioner unions want DA merged with basic pay once it exceeds 25%.
The 8th Pay Commission held a meeting in Puducherry on 9 September and plans meetings in Chandigarh from 16 to 18 September.
Under an assumed 2.1 fitment factor, a Level 6 basic salary of ₹35,400 could become ₹74,340 from January 2026.
With a proposed 7% annual increment and average 4-percentage-point annual DA increases, basic pay could reach ₹1,19,374 by January 2033.
At an assumed 28% DA rate, estimated gross salary could reach ₹1,52,798, potentially becoming the basic pay if DA is merged.
- Who
- The 8th Pay Commission, employee and pensioner unions, and central government employees, including a Level 6 employee used in the example.
- What
- The commission is considering salary revisions, including a possible merger of DA with basic pay once DA exceeds 25%.
- When
- The commission met in Puducherry on 9 September and is scheduled to meet in Chandigarh on 16, 17 and 18 September; the illustration covers January 2026 to January 2033.
- Where
- The reported commission meetings took place in Puducherry, with upcoming meetings scheduled in Chandigarh.
- Why
- Employee groups say merging DA with basic pay would deliver salary increases sooner and help address rising living costs.
Employee Groups’ Proposal
Current System and Unconfirmed Outcome
Merging DA with basic pay
Employee Groups’ Proposal
AINPSEF, NC-JCM and other unions want DA merged with basic pay when it crosses 25%, arguing that this would accelerate salary growth.
Current System and Unconfirmed Outcome
Under the current system, DA is revised twice a year but is not automatically merged with basic pay; the article does not confirm that the proposed merger will be accepted.
Annual increments
Employee Groups’ Proposal
AINPSEF has proposed a 7% annual increment, while NC-JCM has suggested 6%.
Current System and Unconfirmed Outcome
The proposed figures are demands from employee organizations, and the article does not state that the 8th Pay Commission has approved either rate.
Projected salary outcome
Employee Groups’ Proposal
Under the article’s assumptions, merging DA could make a Level 6 employee’s basic pay approximately ₹1,52,798 by 2033.
Current System and Unconfirmed Outcome
The calculation is explicitly illustrative and depends on an assumed 2.1 fitment factor, a 7% increment, and specified DA increases; it is not a confirmed salary revision.
- Commission chair
- Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai
- Commission constitution date
- 3 November 2025
- DA merger proposal
- Merge DA with basic pay once it exceeds 25% of basic pay
- Example employee
- Level 6 central government employee
- Existing basic pay
- ₹35,400 under the 7th Pay Commission
- Assumed revised basic pay
- ₹74,340 from January 2026, using a 2.1 fitment factor
- Estimated January 2033 gross salary
- ₹1,52,798, based on the article’s assumptions