8th Pay Commission: From old pension scheme to improved questionnaire - full list of demands by Govt staff body

The Staff Side of the National Council (Joint Consultative Machinery – NC JCM) has written to the 8th Pay Commission, raising concerns about the current process for submitting memorandums. In the letter, the representatives highlighted several major and suggested measures to make the process more inclusive, detailed and effective.

The Joint Consultative Machinery serves serves as a platform where employee representations and government officials discuss service-related issues and resolve disputes through dialogue.

The development is significant for central government employees and pensioners as the upcoming 8th Pay Commission will directly affect salaries, pensions, and workplace benefits. The letter places employee concerns, particularly those related to pensions, at the centre of the discussion.

What did the letter say?

In the communication, dated April 1, 2026, the Staff Side wrote to Pankaj Jain, Member Secretary of the 8th Pay Commission. The letter was sent by Shiva Gopal Mishra, Secretary, Staff Side, NC JCM.

Referring to earlier correspondence and discussions, the Staff Side said that several stakeholders have expressed concerns about the current structure and limitations of the memorandum submission process. The communication emphasised the need to address these issues to ensure that the process allows for larger participation and more detailed inputs.

“These concerns are being widely expressed by the stakeholders and require necessary modifications to ensure a more inclusive, comprehensive and effective submission system,” the letter read.

Full list of demands

— Increase word limit: The current cap of 3,500 characters, which is equivalent to 500 words has been termed insufficient by the body. Therefore, it has requested that the word limit be extended to at least 1,000 words for each theme to enable meaningful and complete submissions.

— Clear provision for sub-questions: The body said that the existing format does not clearly facilitate responses to all sub questions or sub titles under each theme. It has sought a structured format and said that respondents should be able to address each sub-question systematically without any restrictions.

— Provision to submit views for pension reforms (NPS/UPS/OPS): One of the most important situation highlighted in the letter were the issues faced under NPS (National Pension System) and UPS (Unified Pension Scheme). The body called for the restoration of Old Pension Scheme (OPS) under CCS Rules. “Government employees should not be subjected to a contributory pension scheme,” the letter said.

— Inclusion of pensioners issues: The Staff Side called for a a dedicated provision to be made, that would address pension related issues, including retirement benefits, revisions, parity in pension, restoration of the commuted value of pension, enhancement of pension and other welfare measures.

— Welfare provisions on women employees: The body proposed that a separate section should be incorporated for women-centric issues like workplace safety, maternity benefits, menstrual welfare, child care leave (CCL) as well as gender equity policies.

— Department-specific issues: The letter highlights that different government departments face unique problems. Hence, it suggested that a provision should be made to allow submissions on department specific concerns for better policy formulation.

— Extension of submission deadline: The Staff Side has sought more time for consultations on department-specific issues and proposed a new deadline for memorandum submission as May 31, 2026. It said that federations, unions and associations require more time for consultation with affiliates across the country.

— Increase in attachment size limit: The letter also flagged technical limitations concerning memorandum submission as the current limit is only 2 MB. It has proposed that it be increased to 10 MB, stating this will allow submission of detailed reports, annexures and data.

— Enhance modes of submission: In addition to online submission of the memorandum, the letter suggests that entities should be allowed to submit their representation via email and hard copy, in addition to online mode. “This will ensure accessibility, reduce technical barriers and provide an alternative mode of communication,” the body wrote.

The Staff Side has also expressed interest to engage further with the Commission. “We would like to meet the 8th Central Pay Commission on any convenient date after 13-04-2026,” the body said in the letter.