The government has approved the National Salary Scale 2026 by rescheduling the salaries and allowances and financial benefits of government officials and employees. In the new structure, the main salary has been increased by retaining the existing twenty grades.
The minimum initial salary is Rs 20 thousand, while the highest basic salary is Rs 1 lakh to Rs 56 thousand.
The Cabinet on Monday approved the National Salary Scale 2026 and the Joint Forces Directives of the concerned Joint Forces 2026. The new salary structure will come into effect from July 1st, 2026.
The report of the National Salary Commission-2025 and the concerned salary committee has been reviewed in the preparation of the new scale. Besides, inflation, cost of living, quality of life of government employees, economic capacity of the country and the overall economic situation have been taken into account.
The new structure also reduces the ratio of the minimum and highest grades to the basic salary. From 1:9.94 to 1:7.8. This will increase the minimum grade basic salary by 142 per cent and the highest grade salary by 100 per cent.
Implementation in three phase
The decision has been taken to implement the entire salary scale in three phases considering the economic capacity and inflation pressures. The basic salary will come into effect gradually between July 1st and July 1, 2022. However, it has been decided to implement various allowances simultaneously from January 2028.
Priority will be given to low-income employees. Employees from 10th to 20th grade will be given priority in the implementation of the new structure.
According to the government, about 24 lakh military and civilian civil servants and about nine lakh retired employees and other eligible beneficiaries will benefit under the new pay scale. This will cost the government an additional annual expenditure of Rs 1 lakh to Rs 580 crore.
The Rise of the Pension
The new structure also changes the pension of retired government employees. Although the promise of introducing a ‘one grade one pension’ or OROP system, it has been decided to increase the slab-based net pension for the time being considering the huge need for money.
In the new system—
Increase in a $9,000 or higher pension
Increase from nine thousand to 20 thousand rupees
Increased by 20 thousand to 30 thousand rupees 65%
Rs.30 thousand to Rs.60 per cent
Rs.1 and more of a net pension of Rs.
As a result, the elderly retirees who have a relatively low pension will get higher benefits.
Mobile allowance in all grades
For the first time, a new salary has been introduced. Three thousand rupees will be paid every month for each child with special needs.
Besides, the scope of mobile allowance has been increased for mobile and digital communication costs. In the past, where only the fifth-grade employees would get this benefit, the government employees of all grades would get mobile allowance in the new structure.
The government expects that the new pay structure will contribute to increasing the financial security and employment of the government employees as well as building a more efficient and people-friendly administration. In addition to increasing the convenience of the employees through step-by-step implementation, immediate financial pressure on the government will be kept under control.