7th Central Pay Commission: Junior Vs Senior Govt Employee’s Salary Parity; Govt Clarifies On Qualifying Period Of Increment Cycle

Central government employees often get puzzled about the yearly raise when their pay has been raised to match that of their juniors. Under such circumstances, it is normal for employees to want to know if they will receive their next raise in six months or twelve.

Regarding this significant issue, the government has provided clarity in response to a question posed in the Lok Sabha. The Response is aimed to help to clarify the confusion regarding the yearly raise that central employees earn after their pay is equal to that of their juniors.

In the Lok Sabha, MP Anand Bhadoria asked the government that in cases where the pay of a senior employee has been made equal to that of his junior (under Rule 7(10) of CCS (RP) Rules, 2016), then whether six months of service will be enough to receive the next annual increment or if a year of service from the date of the previous increment will be needed.

Replying to the question, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said, "The date of next increment in 7th Central Pay Commission pay structure is governed under Rule 10 of Central Civil Services (Revised Pay) Rules, 2016…”

According to Rule 10, an employee is only eligible for one annual increment, which will be given on either January 1 or July 1 and it will depend on the date of appointment, promotion or grant of financial upgradation.

If an employee is promoted between January 2 and July 1, he will get the next increment on January 1. If the promotion is between July 2 and January 1 (both inclusive), he will get the next increment on  July 1. When two grades are combined and the junior receives a higher salary than the senior, the pay of the senior will be equivalent to the junior and the next increment will be given in compliance with this rule.

It is hoped that this official statement will clear up any confusion among government employees regarding the next increment. The statement from the government clarifies that a full year of service is necessary for the next increment, even after stepping up. This means that even if the senior’s salary is made equal to that of the junior, the next increment will not be given until they complete a full year of service. Six months of service will not be enough for an increment. The employee must complete a full year to be eligible to get the next increment.