Central government employees and pensioners are currently focused on the Eighth Pay Commission. Following the implementation of this commission, employees are expected to see a significant salary increase. In particular, the term "fitment factor" is being discussed, and the calculation of salary increases will largely depend on this.

The fitment factor means doubling an employee's basic salary. This is the basis for determining the new basic salary. For example, if the fitment factor is 2.0, an employee's basic salary may double. However, it is not necessary that the total take-home pay will also increase by the same amount.

According to experts' estimates, if the fitment factor in the Eighth Pay Commission is set between 2.0 and 2.57, the total salary of employees in levels 1 to 18 could increase by approximately 31 to 58 percent. This takes into account both basic salary and various allowances. For example, if an employee's current basic salary is ₹18,000 and a fitment factor of 2.0 is applied, their new basic salary could be ₹36,000. However, the total salary could reach approximately ₹44,640. This means that the total salary will increase by approximately 31 percent.

If we look at the previous pay commissions, the Sixth Pay Commission implemented a fitment factor of 1.86. At that time, the total salary increased by approximately 54 percent. Whereas, the Seventh Pay Commission implemented a fitment factor of 2.57, resulting in a total salary increase of approximately 14.29 percent. Therefore, it is not correct to estimate salary increases based solely on the fitment factor. Furthermore, changes are likely to occur in House Rent Allowance (HRA), Dearness Allowance (DA), and other allowances. The increase in HRA, depending on the city category, could further increase employees' total income.

PC: The economic times