8th Pay Commission: fitment factor talks continue, no final decision yet

The 8th Pay Commission has not yet announced a fitment factor for central government employees. The commission is scheduled to hold consultations with employee and pensioner groups in Jaipur on August 31 and September 1, 2026, followed by meetings in Chennai and Puducherry. Various employee organisations have submitted demands: the NC-JCM has sought a fitment factor of 3.833, the AIDEF and Bharat Pensioners’ Samaj have also demanded 3.833, and the Bhartiya Pratiraksh Mazdoor Sangh has sought 4.0. The 7th Pay Commission had adopted a 2.57 fitment factor after the NC-JCM had sought 3.71.

Livemint reports that a 2.0 fitment factor would double basic pay but the gross salary increase would be smaller, because dearness allowance is reset under a new pay structure. For a Level 6 employee with basic pay of Rs 35,400, a 2.0 factor would raise basic pay to Rs 70,800 but gross salary might rise by about 30.5 per cent. Times Now has published illustrative estimates for Levels 5 to 8 using fitment factors from 2.0 to 2.57. The Bhartiya Pratiraksha Mazdoor Sangh has proposed a minimum monthly salary of Rs 72,000, based on a three-step formula linking pay to per capita national income growth, a five-member family unit, and fiscal prudence.

The 8th Pay Commission was constituted in November 2025 and is currently gathering views. No final recommendations have been made, all salary projections remain indicative until the commission submits its report and the government approves the new pay structure.