About 35 percent! The Deccan Herald report quotes "sources familiar with the draft recommendations," so this estimate is speculative. But it's also in line with our experience with the previous Pay Commission.
As per a draft recommendation prepared by the Pay Commission, gross salary increases which would be implemented with retrospective effect from January 1, 2006, would be in the range of 30 to 35 per cent of the existing salaries.
According to sources familiar with the draft recommendations already prepared by the Pay Commission, the basic salary of the Cabinet Secretary — the topmost civil servant of the Government of India — is proposed to be Rs 80,000 as against the existing basic pay of Rs 30,000.
Coming back to academic salaries, a fresh recruit at the Assistant Professor level can expect a gross salary (without house rent allowance) of about Rs. 35,000 from the current Rs. 25,000. Clearly, this sort of raise, while it does have its benefits (!), is nothing to write home about. Our premier institutions had better get cracking on some of the other things we talked about just a few days ago, if they want to remain (become ?) attractive destinations for top faculty talent.