8th Pay Commission MAJOR update: Why employees’ bodies seek PM Modi’s intervention? NC-JCM demands OPS revival, early rollout and…

On November 3, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union Cabinet approved the terms of reference (ToR) of the 8th Pay Commission, which will benefit 50 lakh central government employees and 69 lakh pensioners.

8th Pay Commission update: The Central government approved the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the 8th Pay Commission earlier this month, ending the wait of over 50 lakh central government employees and 69 lakh pensioners. However, the ToR for the 8th Central Pay Commission (8th CPC) has attracted controversy due to various reasons, including the lack of clarity on pension revision, and the conspicuous omission of an implementation date.

Amid the controversy, employees’ bodies, including the National Council (Staff Side) of the Joint Consultative Machinery (NC JCM) have written letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, seeking the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), along with several other demands, including the implementation of the 8th Pay Commission by January 1, 2026.

What are NC-JCM’s demands?

In a formal letter to PM Modi and FM Sitharaman, NC JCM secretary Shiva Gopal Mishra has suggested major amendments in the ToR for the 8th CPC, citing the “larger interest” of central government employees and existing pensioners.

The employees’ body has sought the revival of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for central government employees under National Pension System (NPS), and asked the government to make amendments in the ToR to restore “expectations of stakeholders” clause that existed in the 7th Pay Commission.

It has sought the removal of the phrase “unfunded cost of non-contributory pension schemes” from the terms of reference, and implementing the 8th CPC retrospectively from January 1, 2026, along with a 20% interim relief to employees and retirees, Economic Times reported.

The NC-JCM (Staff Side), also seeks the restoration of commutation after 11 years with 5% additional pension every five years after retirement and revision coverage for all pensioners, the report said.

Will govt revive Old Pension Scheme?

According to reports, most central government employees have not switched to the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) even as the November 30 deadline is now less than two weeks away. This is a clear indication that employees are firmly behind their demand to roll back to the OPS and are reluctant to switch to any new framework under the National Pension System (NPS).

Concerns have surged among employees and pensioners over pension revisions in the 8th Pay Commission, fuelling the demand for the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme.

When will govt implement 8th Pay Commission?

Earlier this month, on November 3, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union Cabinet approved the terms of reference (ToR) of the 8th Pay Commission, which will benefit 50 lakh central government employees and 69 lakh pensioners and will have implications on the emoluments of the staff of state governments.

If we go by the implementation of previous pay commissions, the government usually takes about 18 to 24 months to implement the recommendations of the commission. Thus, its unlikely that 8th Pay Commission would be implemented before mid-2027, while reports suggest that the next CPC implementation might be pushed back to early 2028.