8th Pay Commission salary hike demands: Rs 69,000 minimum pay, 6% annual increment, higher HRA proposed

In its final memorandum submitted to the 8th CPC on Monday, April 13, 2026, the drafting committee of the National Council (Joint Consultative Machinery), or NC-JCM, they umbrella central government employee body in India, made several demands related to the 8th Pay Commission. These demands include a minimum pay of Rs 69,000, a fitment factor of 3.83, an annual increment of 6%, the restoration of Old Pension Scheme and an increase in the minimum house rent allowance (HRA) slab to 30%.

One of the NC-JCM drafting committee members, C Srikumar, told ET Wealth Online that the 8th CPC's demand for a minimum basic pay of Rs 69,000 is justified because the current system of treating a family as three units should be abandoned and the family should be treated as five units. Here are the key 8th Pay Commission-related demands raised by the drafting committee of NC-JCM in its common memorandum.

Compassionate appointment: 100% eligibility
Date of implementation: All benefits effective January 1, 2026
Minimum pay: Rs 69,000 (for a family of 5 units)
Fitment factor: 3.833 for existing employees and pensioners
Annual increment: 6% of basic pay
Minimum five timescale promotions/financial upgradation/ACP in 30 years of service
30 days of minimum bonus guaranteed on the actual basic pay and DA
HRA slabs: 40% for X-category cities, 35% for Y-category cities, 30% for Z-category cities(linked with DA rise)
One-month wages as gratuity with no ceiling limit (maximum 33 years' of service)

Accumulation of Earned Leave (EL) without any limit
EL encashment: Up to 600 days20 days EL encashment on LTC
Paternity leave: 45 days
Parent care leave: 60 days during entire service
Maternity leave: Increased to 240 days without 2-children restriction

Restoration of Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for employees recruited on or after January 1, 2004
Pension: 67% of last pay drawn
Family pension: 50%
Commutation of pension: To be restored after 11 years
GPF facility: For NPS and UPS employees till OPS restoration
One Rank One Pension (OROP): For civilian employees
Insurance & compensation benefits: Rs 2 crore compensation for employees dying in accidents while on duty. Group Insurance: Group ‘C’: Rs 1 crore. Group ‘B’: Rs 1.5 crore

Pay scale-1 (Level 1)
Existing pay matrix (7th CPC): Rs 18,000–Rs 56,900​
Proposed minimum pay (fitment factor 3.833): Rs 69,000
Pay scale-2 (After merging Level 2 & 3)
Existing pay matrix (7th CPC): Rs 21,700–Rs 69,100
Proposed minimum pay: Rs 83,200
Pay scale-3 (After merging Level 4 & 5)
Existing pay matrix (7th CPC): Rs 29,200–Rs 92,300
Proposed minimum pay: Rs 1,12,000
Pay scale-4 (existing Level 6)
Existing pay matrix (7th CPC): Rs 35,400–Rs 1,12,400
Proposed minimum pay: Rs 1,35,700
Pay scale-5 (after merging Level 7 & 8)
Existing pay matrix (7th CPC): Rs 44,900–Rs 1,42,400
Proposed minimum pay: Rs 1,72,100
Pay scale-6 (after merging Level 9 & 10)
Existing pay matrix (7th CPC): Rs 53,100–Rs 1,67,800
Proposed minimum pay: Rs 2,03,500
Levels 11–17 renumbered to pay scale 7–13​
Fitment factor: 3.833 applicable

The government is yet to announce the date from which recommendations of the 8th Pay Commission will be implemented. Looking at past trends, recommendations of a new pay commission are implemented from the next day of the end of the term of the previous pay commission.