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8th Pay Commission: Meetings regarding the 8th Pay Commission commenced in Delhi yesterday and will continue until August 10. The objective is to hear the fundamental concerns of central government employees and pensioners.

8th Pay Commission Latest Update: The 8th Pay Commission began meetings with employee organizations and pensioner unions in New Delhi on August 7; these sessions will run through August 10. Chaired by Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, the commission is focusing primarily on the fitment factor, basic salary hikes, the restructuring of allowances, and pension reforms. With the Central Government having set an 18-month timeframe, the process has now reached its final stage.

These discussions in Delhi are particularly significant as the commission has already completed a substantial portion of its 18-month tenure. Although the panel has not officially disclosed the agenda for these meetings, the discussions are expected to center on critical issues affecting central government employees and pensioners.

When will the commission submit its report?

It is important to note that the 8th Pay Commission is a temporary body constituted on November 3, 2025. The three-member panel is headed by Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, with Professor Pulak Ghosh and Member-Secretary Pankaj Jain serving as the other members.

The commission is expected to submit its final report to the Central Government within 18 months of its constitution, placing the likely timeline around May-June 2027. Following consultations with stakeholders in New Delhi, the 8th Pay Commission will visit Chennai, Puducherry, Chandigarh, and Jaipur in the coming weeks.

What are the employees' demands? The National Council-Joint Consultative Machinery (NC-JCM) and other unions have demanded a fitment factor of 3.83, which would raise the minimum basic salary from ₹18,000 to ₹69,000. However, nothing has been finalized yet; the commission will make a decision only after consulting all stakeholders.

Pensioner unions have demanded that the full pension be set at 67% of the last drawn salary and the family pension at 50%.

Proposals have also been made to provide additional pension at an enhanced rate to pensioners aged over 65 and to increase the fixed medical allowance to ₹3,000 per month.

The unions have proposed setting the House Rent Allowance (HRA) at 36%, 24%, and 12% for X, Y, and Z category cities, respectively.

Amidst projections that the Dearness Allowance (DA) will cross the 50% mark by early 2026, discussions are also underway regarding merging it with the basic salary and restructuring allowances.