Central government employees are eagerly awaiting the implementation of the 8th Pay Commission, with salary, pension and allowance revisions among their key expectations. One of the major demands is an increase in the fitment factor, which directly influences the revised basic salary.
Employee organisations have reportedly demanded a fitment factor of 3.83. However, the final fitment factor will be decided by the government based on the recommendations of the 8th Pay Commission.
What Is the Fitment Factor?
The fitment factor is used to determine the revised basic salary from the existing basic pay. The basic formula is:
New Basic Salary = Existing Basic Salary × Fitment Factor
Under the 7th Pay Commission, the fitment factor was fixed at 2.57, while the minimum basic salary increased from ₹7,000 under the 6th Pay Commission to ₹18,000.
If a fitment factor of 3.83 is adopted for the 8th Pay Commission, the minimum basic salary could mathematically rise to around ₹68,940. This, however, is only an estimate based on the proposed factor and is not an officially approved salary figure.
Salary Changes from 1st to 7th Pay Commission
The first Pay Commission was implemented in 1946, fixing the minimum basic salary at ₹55 and the maximum at ₹2,000.
The 2nd Pay Commission in 1959 raised the minimum to ₹80 and the maximum to ₹3,000. The 3rd Pay Commission in 1973 fixed the minimum basic salary at ₹196 and the maximum at ₹3,500.
The 4th Pay Commission, implemented in 1986, increased the minimum basic salary to ₹750 and the maximum to ₹8,000.
Under the 5th Pay Commission in 1996, the minimum basic salary rose to ₹2,550, while the maximum reached ₹26,000.
The 6th Pay Commission in 2006 increased the minimum basic salary to ₹7,000, with the maximum reaching ₹80,000.
Finally, the 7th Pay Commission was implemented in 2016. It fixed the minimum basic salary at ₹18,000 and the maximum at ₹2.5 lakh, with a fitment factor of 2.57.
What to Expect from the 8th Pay Commission
The 8th Pay Commission could bring another major revision in salaries and pensions. However, the actual increase will depend on the commission’s recommendations and the government’s final decision. Therefore, the ₹68,940 figure should be treated as a projection, not a confirmed salary.