The 8th Central Pay Commission completed one year of its formal formation on 3 November 2026 — and it has still not fixed a fitment factor or a new minimum salary. Central government employees and pensioners will have to wait for the Commission’s report, which is due by May 2027.

Where things stand

  • Constituted: 3 November 2025, under the chairmanship of former Supreme Court Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai
  • Mandate: 18 months to submit its recommendations, so the report is expected around May 2027
  • Latest meetings: stakeholder consultations in Bengaluru on 7–8 October 2026, followed by meetings in Mumbai on 22–23 October 2026 with employee and pensioner organisations, including railway staff unions
  • Status: the Commission is now in its data-aggregation phase at its New Delhi headquarters — no pay or fitment recommendations have come out of the consultations so far

What unions are demanding — not decided

Employee federations have put these demands on record, but none of them is a Commission recommendation or a government decision:

  • Minimum basic pay of Rs 69,000 (demanded by NC-JCM, NFIR and others)
  • Fitment factor of 3.833 (NC-JCM), with BPMS reportedly demanding 4.0
  • Annual increment of 6%, up from the current 3%
  • Pension at 67% of last pay drawn and 50% family pension
  • DA merger with basic pay whenever DA reaches 25%

What is confirmed

  • Dearness Allowance is now 63% of basic pay, effective from 1 July 2026 — the Cabinet approved the three-percentage-point rise on 28 October 2026. This is under the 7th Pay Commission framework and does not confirm any 8th Pay Commission salary.
  • The Commission’s recommendations are normally expected to take effect from 1 January 2026, but no order confirming this has been issued yet.

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