8th Pay Commission: Why Fitment Factor Is Key For Central Government Employees
More than 50 lakh central government staff and about 65 lakh pensioners will get arrears once the new pay structure comes into effect.
The 8th Pay Commission will likely bring a hike in salaries for central government employees and pensioners.
Preliminary estimates indicate a fitment factor of around 1.96, which will nearly double the minimum basic pay. When added to Dearness Allowance (DA) and House Rent Allowance (HRA), overall remuneration is likely to undergo a significant increase.
Even if the entire rollout takes until 2027, the benefits are expected to be effective from Jan. 1, 2026. More than 50 lakh central government staff and about 65 lakh pensioners will get arrears once the new pay structure comes into effect.
Understanding Fitment Factor
Fitment is one of the key factors in calculating revised salaries under every pay commission. In essence, it multiplies the current basic pay to determine the new basic salary.
To put things into perspective, the 6th Pay Commission fixed the minimum basic pay at Rs 7,000. The 7th Pay Commission raised it to Rs 18,000, employing a fitment factor of 2.57.
For the 8th Pay Commission, it has been reported that the factor can vary between 1.92 and 2.86, with 1.96 being the most probable figure. This will serve as the basis for salary calculations at all levels.
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Salary Increases With 1.96 Fitment Factor
If the fitment factor is taken as 1.96, the basic pay of Rs 18,000 would increase to around Rs 35,280 for Level-1 staff. The calculation doesn't take DA into account, and HRA will differ based on the posting city.
New Basic Salary Formula
Old Basic Salary X Fitment Factor = Revised Basic Salary
This formula will be used to estimate basic salary revisions in all levels, ranging from Level 1 to Level 18.
Likely Total Salary
To understand this, let’s consider a Level-9 central government worker's current salary:
Basic salary: Rs 53,100
DA (58% of basic): Rs 30,798
HRA (27% of basic for metro cities like Delhi): Rs 14,337
Total current salary: Rs 98,235
Revision Under 8th Pay Commission
New basic salary: Rs 1,04,076
DA reset: Rs 0
HRA (27% of new basic): Rs 28,101
Total salary: Rs 1,32,177
These numbers are estimates that could change after the formal announcement is made. However, they show a significant increase in central government employees’ take-home income.
