8th Pay Commission latest updates: Expected salary, pension, fitment factor, dates - all you need to know

8th Pay Commission Latest News Updates: The Union Cabinet recently confirmed the decision to set up the 8th Central Pay Commission (CPC). The announcement came as a welcome surprise for central government employees as the government has maintained for long that they were not considering any proposal for a new pay panel.

Expected dates and timeline of 8th Pay Commission: While the government has not officially declared any timeline for the 8th CPC, a new report suggests it might happen sooner than expected. The 8th CPC may be established in February 2025 and implemented by January 2026, according a report by News24. More details here

Expected fitment factor in 8th Pay Commission: As per a report, the actual fitment factor hike in 8th CPC may be in the range of 1.92-2.08. If this estimate comes true then the minimum salary of central government employees may increase from ₹18,000 to ₹34,560 (assuming a 1.92 fitment factor) or ₹37,440 (assuming a 2.08 fitment factor).

Central Govt Employees' pension history: The minimum pension provided by the central government increased by around 2300% from ₹350 to ₹9000 between the 4th and 7th pay commissions. The maximum pension drawn by the central pensioners increased from just ₹4500 in the 4th CPC to ₹1.15 lakh in the 7th CPC. More details here

How has Fitment factor evolved? The fitment recommended by the 6th pay commission was in the form of grade pay. In this system, any inconsistency in the computation of grade pay or the spacing between pay bands directly affects the amount of benefits to an employee, according to the report of the 7th CPC. The 7th pay commission improved on the shortcomings of the grade-based fitment by recommending a uniform fitment factor that can be applied to all employees. It proposed a uniform fitment factor of 2.57. More details here