Preparations for the 8th Central Pay Commission (8th CPC) have formally gathered pace, with the National Council of the Joint Consultative Machinery (NC JCM), Staff Side, initiating the process of drafting its memorandum on behalf of central government employees.
In a communication sent to all members of the Drafting Committee, the NC JCM (Staff Side) has announced that a meeting will be held on February 25, 2026, in New Delhi to discuss and decide the process and modalities of drafting the memorandum to be submitted to the 8th Pay Commission. The committee members have also been asked to stay in Delhi for a week from February 25 onwards to enable detailed discussions and finalisation of proposals on each topic and issue affecting central government employees.
What is NC JCM and why it matters
The National Council (Staff Side) of the Joint Consultative Machinery (NC JCM) is the apex body representing central government employees. It serves as the official platform through which employee unions and federations place their demands before the government on matters related to pay, allowances, service conditions and welfare.
For every Pay Commission, the NC JCM (Staff Side) plays a crucial role by submitting a comprehensive memorandum that reflects the collective demands of employees across ministries and departments. This document becomes one of the key reference points for the Pay Commission while framing its recommendations.
Drafting Committee to finalise common service matters
According to the communication issued by Shiva Gopal Mishra, Secretary, NC JCM (Staff Side), office accommodation has already been allotted for the 8th CPC at Chandralok Building, Janpath, New Delhi. Once the Commission starts functioning, the Staff Side is expected to submit its memorandum on common service matters of central government employees.
To prepare for this, the Drafting Committee will meet at 13-C, Ferozshah Road, New Delhi, where members will discuss and finalise proposals on each topic and issue, ranging from pay structure and minimum wage to allowances, increments and pension-related matters.
Fitment factor back in focus
As the drafting process begins, the fitment factor has once again emerged as the most debated and closely watched aspect of the 8th Pay Commission.
In simple terms, the fitment factor is a multiplier applied to the existing basic pay and pension to arrive at the revised figures. Even a small change in this number has a significant impact on salaries, pensions, dearness allowance and future increments.
For example, the current minimum basic pay is ₹18,000:
A fitment factor of 2.0 would raise it to ₹36,000
A factor of 3.0 would take it to ₹54,000
A factor of 3.25 would push it to around ₹58,500 (₹18,000 × 3.25)
Under the 7th Pay Commission, a fitment factor of 2.57 raised the minimum pay from ₹7,000 to ₹18,000 — showing why this single number matters so much.
What experts and reports are saying
Over the past few months, estimates on the likely fitment factor have varied widely.
Kotak Institutional Equities has pegged it at around 1.8
Ambit Capital expects a 30–34% salary hike, implying a factor between 1.8 and 2.46
Former Finance Secretary S.C. Garg has suggested a more realistic range of 1.92 to 2.08, cautioning that very high projections could strain government finances.
Despite this, many employees continue to benchmark their expectations against the 7th CPC’s 2.57, citing inflation and rising cost of living.
FNPO’s bold pitch: Fitment factor up to 3.25
The debate intensified after the Federation of National Postal Organisations (FNPO) made a strong pitch to the NC JCM (Staff Side). According to reports, FNPO has proposed a graduated fitment factor ranging from 3.0 to 3.25, instead of a single uniform multiplier.
FNPO has argued that earlier Pay Commissions did not rationalise pay evenly across levels, leading to anomalies and stagnation at certain grades. To address this, it has suggested different fitment factors based on seniority, while also demanding a 5% annual increment, higher allowances and changes to the pay matrix.
FNPO Secretary General Sivaji Vasireddy has indicated that consolidated recommendations — including fitment factor, minimum wage and allowances — are expected to be discussed with the Drafting Committee before being submitted to the 8th Pay Commission chairperson.
What lies ahead
While employee bodies are pushing for a fitment factor closer to 3.0 or higher, most analysts believe the final recommendation is likely to settle somewhere between 2.0 and 2.5, balancing employee expectations with fiscal constraints.
For now, as the NC JCM Staff Side begins detailed discussions and finalisation of proposals, the fitment factor remains the biggest unknown — and the single most important number that will determine how much central government salaries and pensions eventually rise under the 8th Pay Commission.