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The 8th Pay Commission notification for central government employees and pensioners is mired in controversy. Employee unions have alleged that the government is excluding pensioners from the commission’s purview. The notification does not explicitly mention pension revisions for pensioners under the old pension system, which was the case under the 7th CPC. This has raised concerns among pensioners.
The recent notification of the 8th Central Pay Commission for central government employees and pensioners has sparked considerable debate. The Finance Ministry’s notification, issued on November 3, 2025, faces allegations that it excludes central government pensioners and family pensioners from the Commission’s purview.
An employee union has even written to the Finance Ministry objecting to this alleged omission, stating that pension revision is a pensioner’s right.
Let us understand what the 8th CPC notification does and does not say about pensions and pensioners, and how it differs from the 7th CPC notification.
What the 8th CPC Notification Said and Didn’t Say on Pensions
The 8th Pay Commission notification, issued on November 3, 2025, makes no explicit mention of reviewing the pensions paid to existing central government pensioners and family pensioners. Employee organizations have alleged that the government is preparing to exclude 6.9 million pensioners from the Commission’s purview. Amid these allegations, the staff body has called an important meeting.
However, the notification mandates the Commission to review certain pension-related issues under the National Pension System (NPS), including the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS). These primarily include reviewing and making recommendations on death-cum-retirement gratuity for employees covered under the NPS (including UPS).
Reviewing and making recommendations on death-cum-retirement gratuity and pensions for employees not covered under the NPS (including UPS). That is, the focus is primarily on aspects related to gratuity and NPS, and not on pension revision for existing pensioners under the old pension system.
What is the difference between the 7th CPC and the pension issue?
The 7th Pay Commission notification was issued by the Ministry of Finance on February 28, 2014. Unlike the 8th CPC, the 7th CPC notification explicitly directed the Pension Commission to examine the principles governing the structure of pensions and other retirement benefits.
This also included a review of pension revisions for employees who retired before the implementation of the 7th CPC, keeping in mind that employees appointed after January 1, 2004, are covered under the New Pension Scheme (NPS).
The notification stated, “To examine the principles governing the structure of pensions and other retirement benefits, including the revision of pensions of employees who retired before the effective date of these recommendations, bearing in mind that the retirement benefits of all Central Government employees appointed on or after 01.01.2004 are covered under the New Pension Scheme (NPS).”
Thus, while the 7th CPC directly emphasized pension revision for pensioners under the old pension system, this is conspicuously absent from the 8th CPC notification. This is why employee organizations consider it unfair to pensioners.
It remains to be seen how the Commission addresses these issues in its report and what action the government takes. Pensioners have been struggling for their demands for a long time, and this notification may further exacerbate their concerns.
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