Central government employees are closely tracking the 8th Pay Commission as unions push for a higher fitment factor
8th Pay Commission Update
8th Pay Commission: The central government employees are eagerly observing the developments regarding the 8th Pay Commission, as the news about a large pay revision is gaining momentum. At the same time, the central government employees' unions and associations are actively placing their demands before the central government. One of the main demands is to fix the fitment value between 2.86 and 3.25. If the central government accepts the higher fitment value, the minimum basic pay could rise from the present Rs 18,000 to over Rs 54,000, bringing immense relief to the employees.
Meanwhile, the National Council (Staff Side) of the Joint Consultative Machinery (NC-JCM) has fixed an important meeting with the Drafting Committee on February 25, 2026, in New Delhi. The primary objective of this meeting is to draw up a joint memorandum of demands, which would raise the voice of central government employees as well as pensioners before the actual talks begin regarding the 8th Pay Commission.
If the 8th Pay Commission decides to use a fitment factor of 2.86, it will result in a significant rise in the basic pay of the employees. The formula used for calculating the salary is as follows:
Basic Pay x Fitment Factor = Revised Basic Pay
For instance, if the basic pay of an employee is Rs 17,990, the revised basic pay will be calculated as follows:
Rs 17,990 x 2.86 = Rs 51,451
Currently, the minimum basic pay of central government employees under the 7th Pay Commission is Rs 18,000.
If the government accepts higher fitment factors, the effect on the salary could be even more:
Even pensioners are expected to benefit from this change, as the higher fitment factor will result in better revised pensions.
The 7th Pay Commission, which is likely to be completed in December this year, had already given its approval to the fitment factor of 2.57. Any hike beyond this will automatically trigger a substantial increase in the salaries and pensions of the employees, making the upcoming event even more crucial for the beneficiaries.
Currently, the spotlight is on the central government’s announcement regarding the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the 8th Pay Commission. As per reports, the ToR is likely to be finalized by the end of March, and the announcement regarding the new pay commission is likely to be made in the first week of April.
