Last Updated on March 8, 2024 by ethinos
The 7th Central Pay Commission was created in 2014 as a means to standardise the structure and concepts of emoluments (salaries) of all the civilian employees of the Central Government. These employees include those of the Indian defence forces. The report of the commission was submitted in 2015. The 7th Central Pay Commission’s principles and stipulations impact the organisation, structure, rank, pension, allowances, and salary of the Indian Army ranks. As such, the commission’s recommendations affect approximately 13,86,171 personnel of the Indian armed forces.
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The Importance of the Pay Commission
The 7th Central Pay Commission not only regulates the salary of the Indian Army ranks but acts as a monitoring system to decide if any changes must be implemented in the salaries concerning government employees according to their various ranks. When the report of the Pay Commission initially came out, the Chiefs of Staff of the Defence Forces stated that it was discriminatory and anomalous.
In 2016, the government of the BJP implemented and executed some of the suggestions of the 7th Central Pay Commission including those recommended for PBOR (Personnel Below Officer Rank). Certain slight modifications were made to the clauses aligned with the queries brought up by the Defence authorities. Still, after the first implementation of the Pay Commission, the Defence authorities reiterated the anomalies in the then recommendations that were related to salary hikes and more. The government took note of the changes and made them according to the wishes of the Defence Forces.
7th Pay Commission Allowances and PBOR
The PBOR full form is Personnel Below Officer Rank. The 7th Pay Commission has made some stipulations and recommendations for the regulation of salaries and related payments (like pensions) for several cadres and ranks in the Defence and Military Indian Forces. As such, Personnel Below Officer Rank also have specific regulations by which salary is mandated and related payments are executed.
Before you understand the pay scales that relate to such personnel, you should have some basic knowledge of this cadre of staff in the Indian Armed Forces. The personnel in the category of PBOR comprise those employees in the Armed Forces that fall below the profile of the rank of “officer”. They are soldiers who partake in technical services related to the Armed Forces and also partake in combat. Typically, the eligibility to be a PBOR is having passed the 12th class with a passing grade from a recognised board of education. For all categories under the cadre of PBOR, the eligibility according to age is 17.5 years to 21 years. As per specific new rules of recruitment, the process of recruiting candidates is done according to the rules of the Agnipath Scheme. According to this scheme, the tenure of any PBOR is a duration of 4 years.
The Salary of the Indian Army Ranks of PBOR
The three forces of defence personnel of the Army, Navy, and Airforce in India have their own PBOR classifications and ranks. The PBOR ranks of the Indian Army are as follows:
- Subedar Major
- Subedar
- Naib Subedar
- Havaldar
- Naik
- Lance Naik
- Sepoy
Here, the personnel is ranked from the highest to the lowest, with Subedar Major ranked as the highest PBOR rank.
The PBOR Salary Structure
For the Indian Army, the PBOR pay scales are the following:
| Indian Army | Pay Level (₹) | Grade Pay (₹) |
| Subedar Major | 9,300-34,800 – Level 8 | 4,800 |
| Subedar | 9,300-34,800 – Level 7 | 4,600 |
| Naib Subedar | 9,300-34,800 – Level 6 | 4,200 |
| Havaldar | 9,300-34,800 -Level 5 | 2,800 |
| Naik | 9,300-34,800 – Level 4 | 2,400 |
| Lance Naik | 5,200-20,200 – Level 3 | 2,000 |
| Sepoy | 5,200-20,200 – Level 2 | 1,800 |
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The PBOR gradations and corressponding salaries date back to the origins of the British Indian Army. Every employee in the PBOR category has a salary that is a blend of the average military service, group pay, and grade pay. This is computed on a sliding scale of entitlement.
Refer to the detailed document for pay scale. Click here.
Additional Emoluments
In the Indian Army, the salary of the Indian Army ranks includes certain allowances such as pensions. Related perks such as health coverage for life and the free availability of commissary facilities for subsidised foodstuff are also included. Consumer goods and liquor among other necessities are also available to any PBOR at subsidised rates. It is important to note that the pension allowance of the PBOR has been increased by the Agnipath scheme.
Final Lines
The Indian Army is the cornerstone of the Defence power of India and it is important to know about pay scales, especially if you want to join the Defence Forces. Knowing about pay grades and allowances helps to plan finances and achieve certain life goals. From an investment point of view, and a taxation perspective, the information on pay scales and grades can aid in organisaing a financial portfolio.
Disclaimer: Investments in the securities market are subject to market risk, read all related documents carefully before investing. This content is for educational purposes only.
