8th Pay Commission: Good news for central government employees. Central government employees are looking forward to the implementation of the 8th Pay Commission’s recommendations. With this new Pay Commission, substantial increases in both salaries and pensions for central government employees are anticipated. As per the government’s pensioner portal, there are currently 6.872 million pensioners as of October 30, 2025. This figure includes employees from various sectors such as civil, defense, telecommunications, railway, and postal departments. Let’s delve into the potential pension calculations.
Role of fitment factor
The fitment factor will be crucial in determining how much the pension will increase. It serves as a multiplier for salary and pension hikes in any pay commission. For the Seventh Pay Commission, the fitment factor was established at 2.57, which meant that the basic pay of government employees was raised to 2.57 times their basic pension from the Sixth Pay Commission.
The fitment factor for the Eighth Pay Commission will be set once the Union Cabinet gives its approval to the Pay Commission’s recommendations. If the government decides to raise the fitment factor (for instance, from 2.57 to 3.0 or 3.68), pensioners could see their basic pension double.
Commission has been formed
Recently, the central government has sanctioned the terms and conditions for establishing the Eighth Central Pay Commission. This commission is expected to present its final report within 18 months, with its recommendations likely to take effect on January 1, 2026. Retired Supreme Court Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai has been appointed to lead the commission. The commission will provide its final report within 18 months, while also issuing interim reports periodically.
