HIGHLIGHTS OF SIXTH PAY COMISSION

1. Uniform 3% raise in basic pay every year. The norm is a Rs 500-increase annually within grade scale
2. The minimum basic pay for a central government employee will be Rs.7,000 a month now, which will translate to around Rs.10,000 after adding allowances
3. The hiked salary would be given to the employees beginning September this year
4. 40 percent of the arrears be paid in the current fiscal and the remaining 60 percent next year. The arrears would be paid in cash.
5. The gazetted holidays have been abolished and there will be only three national holidays. The central government employees will be working 5 days a week
6. Maternity leave for the women has been increased to 6 months.
7. Total number of salary grades to be reduced from 35 to 20.
8. Flexible working hours for people suffering from disability
9. A 20 % raise over the pay bands suggested by the Commission
10. New wages to be effective from January 2006
11. No Cabinet Secretary rank for Intelligence Bureau chief, the three Service chiefs or the Chairman, Railway Board
12. Group D personnel to stay (peons in ministries and porters in Railways)
13. Military service pay for persons below the officer rank (POBR) would be Rs 2,000 per month
14. The disability pension for military personnel has been increased from Rs. 1550 to Rs. 3100 per month.
15. Higher ranked military officials will get a military service pay (MSP) of Rs. 6000.
16. Significant hike in salaries of Brigadiers: they move to Pay Band 4 (Rs 39,200-67,000) from the suggested Pay Band 3 (Rs 15,600-39,100)
17. Three confirmed promotions in all government jobs including the armed forces.
18. The civilians would get the promotion after 10, 20 and 30 years of service and the armed personnel would get it after 8, 16 and 24 years.
19. DIG-scale abolished in IPS and Indian Forest Service
20. More details would be announced by the prime minister during his Independence Day address from the ramparts of the Red Fort Friday.