8th Pay Commission: How salaries could increase at fitment factors of 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5 and 4 – Calculations explained
On 3 November 2026, the 8th Pay Commission completed 1 year since its constitution on the same day in November 2025. Now, we have entered a crucial phase of the 8th Pay Commission, where the ultimate objective of the 8th Pay Commission panel will be to finalise their decisions on the fitment factor multiplier, salary revisions, allowances, pension reforms, along with a host of other factors and to present them in the form of a report to the central government.
To ensure the successful completion of the same process, the 8th Pay Commission panel is examining changes that can be made, keeping in view the demands and aspirations of employee unions and fiscal considerations. In the same vein, one of the most important aspects that has attracted the most attention is the possible fitment factor, to be decided by the 8th Pay Commission panel in its final report. As this is the metric that will define and determine the revised basic pay
Now, prominent unions such as NC-JCM Staff Side, Bharatiya Pratiraksha Mazdoor Sangh (BPMS), Bharat Pensioners Samaj (BPS), Federation of National Postal Organisations (FNPO), among others, have all presented their proposals and views on the fitment factor in the form of their well-explained and detailed memorandums to the 8th Pay Commission panel.
For example, NC-JCM is pushing for a fitment factor of 3.833x; BPMS is pushing for an even higher multiplier of 4x. These figures are higher than the fitment factors used in the 6th and 7th pay commissions, which were 1.86 and 2.57, respectively.
Still, it should not be overlooked that central government employees have the opportunity to present their views and seek a meaningful revision of their salaries and pensions through a pay commission only once every 10 years.
The aim of the unions, hence, in presenting these fitment factor views is to bring meaningful changes to the livelihoods of central government employees and pensioners and to protect their purchasing power.
Furthermore, to put it simply, the fitment factor is a multiplier applied to an employee's existing basic pay to arrive at the proposed revised basic pay. For instance, if an employee currently earns a basic salary of ₹18,000, a fitment factor of 2 would take it to ₹36,000. At a factor of 3, the revised basic pay would be ₹54,000.
This basic salary, do note, does not include the dearness allowance (DA) and House Rent Allowance (HRA) that are calculated separately. Keeping these fundamentals in mind, and recognising the significance of a meaningful fitment factor revision for central government employees, let us discuss the possible salary revisions that could result if the central government panel eventually agrees to a fitment factor between 2 and 4.
The 7th Pay Commission recommended a fitment factor of 2.57, which increased the minimum basic pay from ₹7,000 to ₹18,000.
The formula used for the calculation is:
7th CPC calculations: ₹7000 x 2.57 = ₹17990 (Rounded off to ₹18,000)
Keeping the same formula in mind for the 8th Pay Commission, let us calculate the possible revised basic salaries at 5 hypothetical fitment factors: 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, and 4.
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The 8th Pay Commission, headed by Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, was constituted on 3 November 2025 and has an 18-month mandate to submit its final recommendations in the form of a report. Accordingly, the commission is tentatively expected to table its report by May-June 2027. After that, the government will subsequently examine the recommendations before taking a call on their acceptance and implementation.
It is vital to keep in mind that none of the 5 fitment factors discussed above has been officially approved. The actual salary revision and how payments are treated going forward will depend on the commission’s recommendations and the government’s final decision. Moreover, these calculations present revised basic pay, not the final monthly salary after accounting for allowances and other associated components.
In summary, central government employees should treat these figures as possible scenarios rather than assured salary hikes. The actual benefit will become clearer once the 8th Pay Commission submits its final report and the central government announces its official decision.
Shivam writes on personal finance, equity markets, and mutual funds. He has previously contributed to several leading publications, including Moneycontrol. He can be reached at shivam.shukla@htdigital.in
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HomeMoneyPersonal Finance8th Pay Commission: How salaries could increase at fitment factors of 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5 and 4 – Calculations explained
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