India's 8th Pay Commission proposals aim to raise salaries and pensions for millions

Employee groups in Jammu and Kashmir have asked the 8th Pay Commission to adopt a fitment factor between 2.86 and 3.68. If applied, the current minimum basic salary of Rs 18,000 could rise to between Rs 51,480 and Rs 66,240, alongside calls for better pension, housing‑rent allowance, health care and special benefits for staff in remote, border and mountainous areas.

The National Council‑Joint Consultative Machinery (NC‑JCM) has submitted a pension reform plan that would increase the base pension from the present 50 % of the last drawn salary to 67 %, with an age‑based scale that could reach 100 % of the final pay at age 90. Unions also want employees to choose among the Old Pension Scheme, the National Pension System and the Unified Pension Scheme, arguing that retirement benefits should not depend on market fluctuations. The Commission’s decisions will affect more than 11 million central government employees, pensioners and their families.