8th Pay Commission Anticipation Rises: How Salaries Evolved from 1st to 7th Pay Commissions

• Anticipation builds for the 8th Pay Commission, announced for November 2025, with recommendations expected in 18 months.
• Pay Commissions determine government employee salaries, with a 'compression ratio' showing the gap between minimum and maximum pay.
• The 1st Pay Commission (1946-47) had a 1:36.4 min-max salary ratio (₹55-₹2000), increasing to 1:37.5 by the 2nd PC.
• The 5th Pay Commission (1996) significantly reduced the ratio to 1:10 (₹2550-₹26000), aiming to balance the structure.
• The 7th Pay Commission (2016) set minimum basic salary at ₹18,000 and maximum at ₹2,50,000; employees demand further reduction in disparity for the 8th PC.