Central government employees are eagerly waiting for the recommendations of the 8th Pay Commission. It is expected to submit its report to the government in about 18 months.
Even before the final report, many estimates are being discussed about possible salary increases.
One of the most important factors in deciding salary hikes is the fitment factor. To understand how salaries may increase this time, it is useful to look at how the fitment factor worked in the 6th and 7th Pay Commissions.
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Details of 6th and 7th Pay Commissions
The 6th Pay Commission recommendations were implemented in March 2008, but they were effective from January 1, 2006.
At that time, the minimum salary was ₹6,600, while the maximum salary was ₹80,000 (₹90,000 for the Cabinet Secretary). The ratio between minimum and maximum salary was 1:12.
In the 7th Pay Commission, a major change was introduced. The old pay band and grade pay system was removed
and replaced with a pay matrix system. A fitment factor of 2.57 was applied, which increased the basic salary of employees by 2.57 times.
After this change:
Minimum salary became ₹18,000
Maximum salary reached ₹2,50,000 (Cabinet Secretary level)
Annual increment was fixed at 3% for all employees
The tenure of the 7th Pay Commission ended on December 31, 2025.
Expected Salary Increase Under the 8th Pay Commission
The government formed the 8th Pay Commission last year, and an official notification was issued in November 2025. Its recommendations may take around 18 months to be implemented, but they could be effective from January 1, 2026.
Employee unions are demanding that the fitment factor should be between 3.0 and 3.25. If this demand is accepted, there could be a significant rise in salaries.
How the Fitment Factor is Calculated
The fitment factor is decided based on several elements such as:
Basic salary of the previous pay commission
Dearness Allowance (DA)
Annual increments
Growth factor
Number of family units
According to Manjeet Singh Patel, National President of the All India NPS Employees Federation, the current DA is around 58%. By the time the 8th Pay Commission is implemented, it may increase by 12% and reach 70%.
He also explained that:
The government calculates a growth factor, which was 24% earlier
Family units were considered as 3 earlier, but this time it may be increased to 5
If 5 family units are considered, an additional increase of about 66% can be expected
Example of Salary Increase
Let’s understand this with an example:
If the fitment factor in the 8th Pay Commission is set at 3:
A Level 1 employee’s salary will increase from ₹18,000 to ₹54,000
This means an increase of ₹36,000
Similarly:
A Level 18 employee’s salary can rise from ₹2,50,000 to around ₹7,50,000
In simple terms, the higher the fitment factor, the bigger the increase in salary.