Recently, the Central Government issued the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the 8th Pay Commission (8th CPC) and appointed a Chairman and two members. However, this decision has angered millions of retired employees across the country. The All India Defence Employees Federation (AIDEF) has strongly objected to this decision. They state that the complete exclusion of pension revisions for 6.9 million pensioners and family pensioners from the 8th Pay Commission’s ToR is highly inappropriate.
AIDEF General Secretary C. Srikumar has written a letter to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman demanding necessary changes to the ToR for the 8th CPC. A copy of this letter has also been sent to Defense Minister Rajnath Singh. They argue that excluding such a large section of employees who have served the country for 30 to 35 years is not only wrong but also unfair to them.
The rights of 6.9 million pensioners
The biggest controversy is that 6.9 million pensioners and family pensioners have been excluded from the scope of the 8th CPC. AIDEF states that pension revision is every pensioner’s right. Ignoring them at the end of their service is unacceptable. The Seventh Pay Commission (7th CPC) explicitly provided for pension revision for older pensioners, but the ToR for the 8th CPC does not contain such a provision.
AIDEF has requested the government to include pension revision for all employees who retired before January 1, 2026, in the ToR. Additionally, old demands such as the reinstatement of commutation after 11 years and an additional 5% pension every five years have also been reiterated.
Why is the demand for the reinstatement of OPS
Another important issue has been raised in the letter written by AIDEF. Over 2.6 million central government employees across the country are vehemently demanding the restoration of the Old Pension System (OPS) in place of the NPS (National Pension System). However, the 8th Pay Commission’s ToR does not include a single word related to OPS. AIDEF urges that OPS be included in the ToR so that further action can be taken on this long-standing demand.
The current ToR only states that the salary structure should be such that it attracts talent and promotes efficiency. AIDEF says that the government should make the ToR for the 8th CPC similar to that of the 7th CPC to ensure inclusion. This controversy indicates that the government may soon have to amend the ToR to appease the demands of pensioners.