8th Pay Commission begins talks today: Rs 72,000 minimum salary buzz, but here’s the truth

The 8th Central Pay Commission has formally begun its consultation process, and the response has already outpaced the available time.

Meetings with employee unions and associations are scheduled in Delhi from April 28 to April 30. But in a notice dated April 24, 2026, the Commission acknowledged it has received a “large number of requests” for interaction during the three-day window and warned that not everyone will be accommodated in this first round.

Not everyone gets a seat, yet

The Commission said meetings will be scheduled with the maximum possible number of unions and associations, but some requests may not be accommodated due to time constraints.

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Stakeholders outside Delhi-NCR have been advised to wait. The Commission plans to hold further rounds of meetings in Delhi as well as across various states and Union Territories in the coming months, visiting regions or nearby locations for interactions. A team was also scheduled to visit Dehradun on April 24 as part of its early outreach.

What is actually on the table

As consultations pick up pace, discussions about a minimum salary of Rs 72,000 have been circulating widely among central government employees. However, this figure is not part of any official proposal submitted to the Commission. It is largely based on estimates and projections tied to different fitment factor scenarios being discussed in various reports, not a formal demand.

The only structured submission on record so far comes from the National Council–Joint Consultative Machinery (NC-JCM), Staff Side. In its memorandum, the body has proposed a minimum basic pay of Rs 69,000 along with a fitment factor of 3.83.

Where things stand

The Commission is still in the early stages of gathering feedback from employee groups and other stakeholders. Final recommendations on salaries, allowances, and fitment factors will come only after these discussions are completed. For now, employees are advised to rely on official updates rather than figures circulating online, as the process has only just begun.