Grade Pay
The 6th Pay Commission add-on that indicated a post's seniority. Abolished by the 7th CPC and absorbed into pay-matrix levels; older notifications still mention it.
You will still meet grade pay in older notifications and seniority discussions, since posts recruited before the 2017 revision were defined by it. When comparing an old notification with a current one, map the old band plus grade pay to its pay-matrix level instead of comparing rupee figures directly; the 7th CPC absorbed the add-on into the level itself.
Related terms
Pay Matrix
The 7th Pay Commission table of pay levels and cells that replaced pay bands and grade pay. Every post maps to a level; annual increments move you cell by cell.
Pay Level
A post's row in the pay matrix, fixing its starting basic pay and progression. Group 4 posts sit around Level 8; Group 1 posts start around Level 22.
Basic Pay
The pay-matrix figure before any allowance. DA and HRA are calculated as percentages of it, and deductions come off the resulting gross.
Dearness Allowance (DA)
An inflation-linked allowance calculated as a percentage of basic pay and revised periodically by the government.
House Rent Allowance (HRA)
A percentage of basic pay that varies with the posting location's classification, which is why the same post pays different in-hand amounts in different towns.
City Compensatory Allowance (CCA)
A small fixed allowance for postings in specified cities, compensating higher living costs on top of HRA.
This definition follows official TNPSC notifications and Tamil Nadu government orders. Sources: TNPSC official notifications. Figures are indicative and may change with each official notification. Data last reviewed: July 2026.
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