There is a lot of discussion about the 8th Pay Commission among government employees and pensioners these days. From social media to news reports, the question is everywhere – “Will central government employees’ salary more than double now?” The answer to this is not as easy as it seems. Actually, the common understanding about the fitment factor is not completely correct.
What is the fitment factor?
The fitment factor is actually a coefficient which is multiplied in the existing basic pay. On the basis of this, the new basic salary is decided. In the 7th Pay Commission, this factor was 2.57, due to which the minimum salary increased from Rs 7,000 to Rs 18,000.
But did this increase the entire salary by 2.57 times? No! Actually, the total salary had increased by an average of only 14.3% at that time.
What can happen in the 8th Pay Commission?
According to a recent report by Ambit Capital, the fitment factor in the 8th Pay Commission is estimated to be between 1.83 to 2.46. This means that if an employee’s current basic pay is Rs 50,000, then according to the new recommendation, it can be between Rs 91,500 to Rs 1,23,000.
But the actual salary increase can be even less than this. Why?
When the 8th Pay Commission is implemented, the Dearness Allowance (DA) will be adjusted in the basic salary and then reset.
Similarly, other allowances will also be calculated on the basis of the new basic salary.
According to Ambit’s report, even if the fitment factor is up to 2.46, the actual salary increase will be only between 30% to 34%.
The report of Kotak Institutional Equities even states that if the government keeps the fitment factor at the minimum level i.e. 1.8, then the actual salary increase can be limited to only 13%. This can be a big disappointment for those who are expecting 2 times or 2.5 times the salary.
Fitment factor and actual salary hikes under previous pay commissions
| Pay Commission | Fitment Factor | Estimated Hike in Salary | Actual Hike |
| 6th | 1.86 | 86% | 20–25% |
| 7th | 2.57 | 157% | 14.3% |
| 8th (Expected) | 1.83–2.46 | 83%–146% | Expected 30–34% (Ambit), 13% (Kotak) |
It is clear from this that the fitment factor does not directly mean an increase in the total salary as many times as the general public assumes.
Latest update: What is the government’s preparation?
The government has not yet issued a formal notification of the Terms of Reference (ToR) of the 8th Pay Commission. This process is going on much later than the 7th Pay Commission.
The 8th Pay Commission was scheduled to take effect from January 1, 2026, but the actual implementation may slip to 2027 now, considering the delay in the appointment of members of the commission and issuance of official notification.
Conclusion: It is important to link expectations with reality
Government employees need to understand that the fitment factor affects only the basic salary, and the adjustment of DA and other allowances is done later. Therefore, a factor of 2.46 does not mean that your entire salary will increase by 2.46 times.