8th Pay Commission: Central Employee Body Submits 9 Key Demands - Including Pension Reforms & Deadline Extension

The National Council (Staff Side) of the Joint Consultative Machinery (NC-JCM), the main umbrella body representing central government employees, has urged the 8th Central Pay Commission to make the feedback process more inclusive by adding nine important points to its questionnaire.On April 1, 2026, Shiva Gopal Mishra, NC-JCM Secretary, sent a letter addressed to Pankaj Jain, Member Secretary for the Eighth Pay Commission, asking for modification of the format of how the public can provide suggestions concerning pay increases and/or pension increases. The Commission has previously invited input from nearly every sector of the economy using an 18 item questionnaire focused on four main areas: pay, allowances, pensions, and service-related issues.

NC-JCM believes that this format is insufficient when considering the many issues raised by all sectors representing people who are affected by these decisions.Here are the nine key demands made by NC-JCM:Review of NPS/UPS and Restoration of Old Pension SchemeThe body outlined the many grievances experienced by employees who are covered by the National Pension System (NPS), as well as those employees affected by the new Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) recently introduced. The body requested that there be a method to document employee opinions on whether or not the current NPS and UPS should be reviewed, and there continue to be a considerable number of employees that would like the Old Pension Scheme (non-contributory CCS(NPS)Pension) Rules 1972 (now 2021) to be reinstated, which remains an enormous area of popular consensus amongst its members.Dedicated Section for Pensioners’ IssuesNC-JCM called for a separate provision to address pensioners’ concerns, including retirement benefits, pension revisions, parity, restoration of commuted pension value, and other welfare measures.Welfare Provisions for Women EmployeesA dedicated section should be added to cover issues specific to women employees, such as safety at the workplace, maternity benefits, menstrual leave, Child Care Leave (CCL), workplace equity, and other welfare schemes.Department-Specific IssuesDifferent government departments face unique operational, cadre, and functional challenges. The employee body requested a clear provision to submit detailed inputs on these department-specific problems.Extension of Submission DeadlineNC-JCM has asked for an extension of the deadline for submitting separate memoranda on department-specific issues up to May 31, 2026. This extra time is needed for wider consultations with unions and associations spread across the country.Increase in Response Word LimitThe present restriction of 3500 characters per theme (1500 characters = 300 words) was described as "too limiting." The organization asked for this to be raised to at least 1000 words to allow for adequate explanation, data and justification. (Some sources indicate that the Commission has raised this limit to 10,000 characters per theme.)Better Format for Sub-QuestionsRespondents to NC-JCM thought the way the questionnaire has been structured does not allow for detailed answers to every sub-question under each of the major topic areas. Therefore, NC-JCM requested that the response structure be more modular in nature and allow for unrestricted response to every sub-point.Larger Attachment Size LimitThe existing 2 MB limit for uploading supporting documents is inadequate for detailed reports and data. The demand is to increase it to at least 10 MB.Option to Submit via Email and Hard CopyApart from the online portal, stakeholders — especially unions and associations — should be allowed to submit memoranda through email and physical hard copies to reduce technical difficulties and improve accessibility.NC-JCM has been prepared a joint memorandum for all central government employees' unions and associations to support their demands. These are based upon long-standing issues about: (a) pension security, (b) gender-sensitive policies and (c) a need for more practical methods of consultation.The 8th Pay Commission is currently in the process of gathering inputs from employees, pensioners, and various stakeholders before finalising its recommendations.