RAS question
Who was appointed as the Chairperson of the 8th Central Pay Commission in October 2025?
Correct answer: (B) Justice Ranjana Desai.
Justice Ranjana Desai, retired, was appointed Chairperson of the 8th Central Pay Commission after the Union Cabinet approved its Terms of Reference on 28 October 2025.
Explanation
The 8th Central Pay Commission question turns on the difference between the commission's chair and its other office-bearers. The official 8th CPC composition page lists Smt. Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai under "Chairperson", while Prof. Pulak Ghosh appears as "Member (Part time)" and Shri Pankaj Jain as "Member-Secretary". After the Union Cabinet approved the Terms of Reference on 28 October 2025, Justice Ranjana Desai, retired, was appointed to head the commission. The earlier pay-cycle context also matters for exams: the 7th Central Pay Commission recommendations were implemented from 1 January 2016, so the 8th CPC became a predictable current-affairs appointment area.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Justice D.Y. Chandrachud is not listed as the Chairperson on the official 8th CPC composition page.
- (C) Professor Pulak Ghosh was appointed as the Part-time Member, not the Chairperson, of the 8th Central Pay Commission.
- (D) Pankaj Jain was appointed as Secretary, shown on the official page as Member-Secretary, so he was not the Chairperson.
Concept
This tests current-affairs recall around Central Pay Commission appointments and the Terms of Reference process. It recurs in RAS because a single fact can combine the date, commission role and named office-bearer.