New Pay Structure
5.1.13 Although the VI CPC had mentioned that grade pay would be equivalent to 40 percent of the maximum of the pre-revised scale and that the grade pay will constitute the actual fitment, yet the computation varied greatly. After the implementation of recommendations, the difference became more pronounced in Pay Band 4 as compared to the other three pay bands. This resulted in varying fitment factors for various levels and promotional benefits that were
perceived to be rather differentiated. The same pattern was discernible in the pension fixation too.
5.1.14 After analysing the issues brought out by various stakeholders, this Commission is suggesting a new pay model that is expected to not only address the existing problems but will also establish a rationalised system which is transparent and simple to use.
5.1.15 To begin with, the system of Pay Bands and Grade Pay has been dispensed with and the new functional levels being proposed have been arrived at by merging the grade pay with the pay in the pay band. All of the existing levels have been subsumed in the new structure; no new level has been introduced nor has any existing level been dispensed with.
5.1.16 The pay structures in vogue, by way of pay scales or pay bands, indicate the definite boundaries within which the pay of an individual could lie. It is however difficult to ascertain the exact pay of an individual at any given point of time. Further, the way the pay progression would fan out over a period of time was also not evident. Since various cadres are designed differently the relative pay progression also varies. The Commission believes that any new
entrant to a service would wish to be able to make a reasonable and informed assessment of how his/her career path would traverse and how the emoluments will progress alongside. The new pay structure has been devised in the form of a pay matrix to provide complete transparency regarding pay progression.
5.1.17 The Commission has designed the new pay matrix keeping in view the vast opportunities that have opened up outside government over the last three decades, generating greater competition for human resources and the need to attract and retain the best available talent in government services. The nomenclature being used in the new pay matrix assigns levels in place of erstwhile grade pay and Table 3 below brings out the new dispensation for various
grades pay pertaining to Civil, Defence and MNS.
| Existing Pay Bands |
Existing levels of Grade Pay |
Available for* |
New Levels |
| PB-1 | 1800 | C | 1 |
| 1900 | C | 2 | |
| 2000 | C,D | 3 | |
| 2400 | C | 4 | |
| 2800 | C,D | 5 | |
| PB-2 | 3400 | D | 5A |
| 4200 | C,D | 6 | |
| 4600 | C,D | 7 | |
| 4800 | C,D | 8 | |
| 5400 | C | 9 | |
| PB-3 | 5400 | C,D,M | 10 |
| 5700 | M | 10A | |
| 6100 | D | 10B | |
| 6100 | M | 10B | |
| 6600 | C,D,M | 11 | |
| 7600 | C | 12 | |
| PB-4 | 7600 | M | 12 |
| 8000 | D | 12A | |
| 8400 | M | 12B | |
| 8700 | C | 13 | |
| 8700 | D | 13 | |
| 8900 | C | 13A | |
| 8900 | D | 13A | |
| 9000 | M | 13B | |
| 10000 | 14 | ||
| HAG | 15 | ||
| HAG+ | 16 | ||
| Apex | 17 | ||
| Cabinet Secretary, Defence Chiefs | 18 | ||
| * C: Civil; D: Defence; M: Military Nursing Service (MNS) | |||
5.1.18 Prior to VI CPC, there were Pay Scales. The VI CPC had recommended running Pay Bands with Grade Pay as status determiner. The Seventh CPC is recommending a Pay matrix with distinct Pay Levels. The Level would henceforth be the status determiner.
5.1.19 Since the existing pay bands cover specific groups of employees such as PB-1 for Group `C’ employees, PB-2 for Group `B’ employees and PB-3 onwards for Group `A’ employees, any promotion from one pay band to another is akin to movement from one group to the other.
These are significant jumps in the career hierarchy in the Government of India. Rationalisation has been done to ensure that the quantum of jump, in financial terms, between these pay bands is reasonable. This has been achieved by applying ‘index of rationalisation’ from PB-2 onwards on the premise that with enhancement of levels from Pay Band 1 to 2, 2 to 3 and onwards, the role, responsibility and accountability increases at each step in the hierarchy. The proposed pay
structure reflects the same principle. Hence, the existing entry pay at each level corresponding to successive grades pay in each pay band, from PB-2 onwards, has been enhanced by an ‘index of rationalisation’ as shown below in Table 4
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