8th Pay Commission: The drafting committee of the National Council (Joint Consultative Mechanism), also known as NC-JCM, which represents the collective interests of central government employees and pensioners, is set to convene on April 13, 2026. The purpose of this meeting is to finalize the memorandum that will be presented to the 8th Pay Commission. This gathering is highly anticipated by millions of central government employees who are eagerly waiting for the announcement regarding the pay hike date, which the government has yet to disclose.
When and where will the meeting take place?
In a communication addressed to the drafting committee members, Shiv Gopal Mishra, the Secretary of the NC-JCM, stated, “Following up on the previous correspondence (reference number Office Letter dated 12/03/2026), we would like to inform you that the next meeting of the Drafting Committee for the 8th CPC, representing the ‘Staff Side’ of the NC-JCM, is scheduled for April 13, 2026, at 11:00 am. The venue will be the JP Choubey Memorial Library located in the AIRF Office Complex, 4, State Entry, New Delhi. This upcoming meeting on April 13 is a continuation of the discussions that took place on March 12, 2026.”
During the meeting on March 12th, all members of the NC-JCM Drafting Committee came together to deliberate on a unified memorandum representing all employees’ and pensioners’ organizations. The members have been actively engaged in discussions concerning salaries, pensions, allowances, and various employment conditions affecting both employees and pensioners. This effort is part of the ongoing process to prepare a comprehensive memorandum for submission to the 8th Pay Commission, which has set a deadline of April 30, 2026, for such submissions.
KC Srikumar, the president of the All India Defence Employees Federation (AIDEF), shared with ET that the joint memorandum is expected to be finalized during the meeting on April 13.
Regarding AIDEF’s role in the April 13 meeting, Srikumar said that out of the eight subjects given by the 8th CPC in its questionnaire, AIDEF will finalise its proposals to submit to the 8th CPC, which will be adopted by all the constituent organisations of the NC-JCM in sectors like railways, defence, postal, income tax, accounts and audit, etc.
Srikumar is referring to a questionnaire posted on the 8th CPC’s website, which aims to gather feedback from employees, pensioners, unions, employee organizations, and other stakeholders. The deadline for submitting this questionnaire online was March 31, 2026. Previously, the NC-JCM had also written a letter to Ranjana Prakash Desai, Chairperson of the 8th CPC, requesting nine changes to the format of the feedback questionnaire.
8th CPC Key Updates of Last 1 Month
The process of submitting memorandum started on March 5, 2026.
The last date for submission of questionnaire has been extended to March 31, 2026.
The government told the Lok Sabha that the 8th CPC report is expected within 18 months of the release of the Terms of Reference (ToR) of the 8th Pay Commission in November 2025.
The Uttarakhand visit of the 8th CPC was announced on March 30, 2026.
The staff side of the NC-JCM has requested that the last date for submission of separate memorandums on department-specific issues be extended to May 31, 2026.
8th Pay Commission Salary Information
Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, Pankaj Chaudhary, told Parliament last month that the 8th Pay Commission will give its recommendations on various issues like salaries, allowances, pensions, etc. of central government employees within 18 months of its constitution (starting from November 2025).
Salary hike by 8th Pay Commission
The salary increase announced by the 8th Pay Commission will depend on the fitment factor it determines. Employee unions are demanding a fitment factor as high as 3.15. Many experts believe the fitment factor could be higher than 2.50. However, the true extent of salary increases will be known only when the government decides on the fitment factor, which could take more than a year.
