8th CPC: Neither 2.28, nor 2.86 nor 3 times... Employees' fitment factor can only be 1.90! Salary will increase by only 18%

8th Pay Commission fitment factor: If we look at the average from the 2nd Pay Commission to the 7th Pay Commission, there has been an increase of 27%. The total salary hike in the 7th Pay Commission was 14.27%. Now that the 8th Pay Commission has been formed, it will be very important to see how much increase the government recommends this time.

8th Pay Commission fitment factor: Central employees are waiting to see how much revision will be there in their salary. What will be the fitment factor in the recommendations of the 8th Pay Commission? Also, what changes will the new pay commission bring for them? It is being claimed in many reports that there will be a big jump in the salary after the fitment factor. At the same time, the fitment factor will be 2.86 or 2.28. But, the reality is that the fitment factor will neither be 2.28 nor 2.86 nor 3 times. Rather it will be decided on the basis of conditions, inflation and estimated dearness allowance. Looking at the current conditions, the fitment factor is likely to be 1.90. Now let's understand why this will happen and how much impact it will have on the salary.

8th Pay Commission: How much will the salary increase?

If we look at the average from the 2nd Pay Commission to the 7th Pay Commission, there has been an increase of 27%. The total salary hike in the 7th Pay Commission was 14.27%. Now that the 8th Pay Commission has been formed, it will be very important to see how much increase the government recommends this time. Looking at the current dearness allowance (DA), DA can be from 60% to 62% by January 1, 2026. According to experts, dearness allowance is likely to reach 61 percent. Currently 55 percent dearness allowance is approved. If we believe this situation, then the central employees are likely to get only 18% salary hike in the 8th Pay Commission. But, if there is a 24% increase in the salary, then the fitment factor can be more. But, its probability is very low.

8th Pay Commission: How much will be the fitment factor?

Now let's talk about the fitment factor. The value of the fitment factor is decided on how much dearness allowance (DA) is going on at that time and how much increase in salary is decided by the government or the pay commission. If the salary is calculated like this, then the calculation of the fitment factor will come out in terms of dearness allowance and salary increase. Now let us assume dearness allowance to be 61% in normal conditions. At the same time, the increase in salary is likely to be 18%. In this situation, the fitment factor for central employees will remain 1.90 only. In such a situation, the new salary will be calculated by multiplying the basic salary of the employees with the fitment.

8th Pay Commission: Will we have to wait till 2027?

The new pay commission will be implemented from January 1, 2026. But, it will take some time for its recommendations to come and be implemented. Only after that will the situation be clear as to what is the fitment factor fixed for the central employees and how much will be the revision in the salary. However, after everything is finalized, the employees will be paid from January 1, 2026. That means the employees will get the arrears till the number of months after it is finalized. If sources are to be believed, it may take 15 to 18 months for the recommendations to come. According to sources, the commission will also present an interim report before submitting its final report. But this report is likely to come by May 2026. Before this, fund allocation for the 8th Pay Commission can also be done in Budget 2026.

8th Pay Commission: DA calculation will change

According to sources, the government can change the base year for DA calculation when the new pay commission is implemented. Currently, the base year for AICPI-IW is 2016, which was changed in 2016 when the 7th Pay Commission was implemented. Experts also believe that the base year can be changed when the 8th Pay Commission is implemented. The logic behind this is that inflation is increasing and the DA given to deal with the rising inflation should also be changed with the new base year. There is a possibility that the base year of dearness allowance can be 2026.

8th Pay Commission: Will the old DA be merged?

If the 8th Pay Commission is implemented by January 1, 2026, then considering the current situation, the dearness allowance will be up to 61%. It must be paid to the employees in their salary. But, if the base year changes, the old DA can be merged. However, the government has not formally said so yet. All this will be decided only after the recommendations of the 8th Pay Commission panel. If this happens, the dearness allowance will become zero, and
 61% of the dearness allowance will be merged into the basic salary.