What fitment factor did the 7th Pay Commission use?

2.57. Existing pay on 31 December 2015 was multiplied by 2.57 and placed in the matching or next higher cell of the new pay matrix from 1 January 2016.

Has the 8th CPC fitment factor been announced?

No. As of 11 October 2026 the commission has not given any report, interim or final. Figures such as 1.92, 2.28 or 2.86 are media and union scenarios only.

Why does a fitment factor of 2.86 not mean a 186% raise?

Because DA, 60% today, resets to zero on the day the new pay starts. Dividing 2.86 by 1.60 gives 1.7875, so basic + DA rises by about 78.75%.

Does the fitment factor apply to pensioners?

It has in the past. Under the 7th CPC, basic pension was multiplied by 2.57, and DR then restarted from zero on the revised pension.

Fitment factor explained

Updated 11 October 2026

The fitment factor is the number your basic pay is multiplied by when a new pay commission's scale takes effect. It is not your pay rise: the multiplier first has to make up for the DA that drops back to zero on that day, and only what is left over is a real increase. The 7th CPC used 2.57. No fitment factor has been officially announced for the 8th CPC.

How the fitment factor works

On the date a new pay scale takes effect, three things happen together:

Old basic pay × fitment factor = new basic pay. Under the 7th CPC, the old pay (pay in the pay band plus grade pay) was multiplied by 2.57 and placed in the matching cell, or the next higher cell, of the employee's level in the new pay matrix.
DA resets to 0%. The new basic pay already includes the DA you were drawing, so DA starts again from zero and builds up with prices.
Allowances are revised. HRA, transport allowance and others are set afresh, usually at rates linked to the new, lower DA.

The same factor is normally applied to pensions. Under the 7th CPC, basic pension was multiplied by 2.57, and pensioners from before 2016 could get a notional pay fixation instead if that worked out higher. The minimum pay was set the same way: the 6th CPC minimum of ₹7,000 × 2.57 = ₹17,990, rounded to ₹18,000.

How the 7th CPC arrived at 2.57

On 1 January 2016, employees were drawing DA of 125% under the 6th CPC. Just to keep pay the same after merging that DA, basic pay had to be multiplied by 2.25 (1 + 1.25). The commission then added a real increase of about 14.3%: 2.25 × 1.143 = 2.57. So of the 2.57, most was the DA merger, and the real rise was about 14%.

Why gross pay rises much less than the factor

DA goes to zero. This is the big one. You lose the DA percentage in the same month that basic pay is multiplied.
HRA percentages can reset. After the 7th CPC, HRA was paid at 24%, 16% and 8% of the new basic pay, and only rose to today's 30%, 20% and 10% as DA crossed 25% and 50%. The 8th CPC will set its own rates.
The DA on transport allowance resets along with DA itself.
Deductions grow with basic pay, such as the 10% NPS contribution on basic + DA, and income tax.

A quick rule: real increase = fitment factor ÷ (1 + DA rate) - 1. With DA at 60%, any factor up to 1.60 only replaces the DA you lose.

Worked example: Level 10 at 2.86

Worked example. A Level 10 officer at the entry cell has basic pay of ₹56,100. With DA at 60% (₹33,660), basic + DA today = ₹89,760. If a factor of 2.86 were applied, new basic pay = ₹56,100 × 2.86 = ₹1,60,446, with DA at 0%. The increase in basic + DA is ₹1,60,446 - ₹89,760 = ₹70,686, which is 78.75% (₹1,60,446 ÷ ₹89,760 = 1.7875). So a factor of 2.86 means a real rise of 78.75%, not 186%. In practice the figure would also be placed in a cell of the new pay matrix, which can move it slightly up.

What the commonly discussed factors would mean

These are the factors discussed in the media and by unions. None of them is official. The table assumes the new pay starts when DA is 60%, the rate from 1 January 2026.

Fitment factor	Minimum pay (₹18,000 × factor)	Real rise over basic + 60% DA
1.92	₹34,560	20.0%
2.08	₹37,440	30.0%
2.28	₹41,040	42.5%
2.57	₹46,260	60.6%
2.86	₹51,480	78.75%

Staff unions have asked for more. The FNPO, for example, has asked for a factor of 3.00, which would make the minimum pay ₹54,000. If the new pay takes effect when DA is higher than 60%, the real rise from any given factor is smaller, because more of it goes into absorbing DA.

Common mistakes when reading fitment numbers

Multiplying gross pay. The factor applies to basic pay only, not to DA, HRA or gross salary.
Treating the factor as the raise. A 2.28 factor is a 42.5% real rise at 60% DA, not a 128% rise.
Assuming one factor for everyone. A commission can use a single factor for fixing existing pay but design each level's entry pay separately, as the 7th CPC did.

Try different factors on your own pay in the 8th Pay Commission salary calculator, and see the current position in our 8th Pay Commission status guide.