Latest news with #NC-JCM
India.com
11-06-2025
- Business
- India.com
8th Pay Commission: Payment Regarding 18-Months Frozen DA Arrears During Covid Gets Renewed Hope, Why So?
3 / 7 The staff side of the NC-JCM reiterated its demand for restoration of 18 months of DA/DR arrears to government employees which were frozen during the COVID-19 period. The department informed that as the adverse financial impact of the pandemic in 2020 and the financial welfare measures taken by the government had a fiscal spillover beyond FY 2020-21, arrears of DA/DR were not considered feasible.
News18
06-06-2025
- Business
- News18
DA Arrears: When Will Central Govt Employees Receive 18-Month Frozen Amount?
Last Updated: The arrears pertain to 3 installments of DA hikes -- spanning the period from January 2020-June 2021 -- which were frozen as part of fiscal tightening measures during the pandemic. DA Hike: The long-standing demand for the restoration of 18 months of dearness allowance (DA) and dearness relief (DR) arrears has once again come to the forefront, as central government employees continue to press for the release of the frozen dues. The issue was raised afresh during the 63rd meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Council of the Joint Consultative Machinery (NC-JCM), held on April 23, 2025. The staff side of the NC-JCM strongly reiterated its demand for the payment of arrears that were withheld during the COVID-19 pandemic. The arrears pertain to three installments of DA/DR hikes — spanning the period from January 2020 to June 2021 — which were frozen as part of fiscal tightening measures during the nationwide crisis. The government has maintained that the fiscal burden resulting from the pandemic and various financial welfare schemes introduced during the crisis made it infeasible to release the withheld amount. The government noted that the economic fallout of COVID-19 extended beyond FY 2020-21, impacting budgetary decisions in subsequent years. This is not the first time that the staff side has raised the issue. Ahead of the Union Budget 2025, representatives of the NC-JCM had written to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, urging the government to consider releasing the pending arrears, citing both financial justice and rising living costs for employees and pensioners. DA Revision Mechanism Disrupted During COVID-19 Under normal circumstances, DA for government employees and DR for pensioners are revised twice a year—in January and July — based on changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). However, amid the uncertainty caused by COVID-19, the government froze DA hikes for 18 months, impacting nearly 50 lakh central government employees and over 60 lakh pensioners. Although DA hikes were resumed from July 2021 onwards, the frozen installments were never retrospectively paid, leading to consistent demands for their restoration by employee unions and staff federations. 8th Pay Commission Formed, But Clarity Awaits The demand for arrears has gained further attention in light of the government's approval of the 8th Pay Commission in January 2025. Scheduled to be implemented from January 1, 2026, the Commission is expected to overhaul salary, pension, and allowance structures for central government employees. However, despite its approval, the Commission's Terms of Reference (ToR) and the official appointment of its members are still pending. This has added to the uncertainty over whether employee concerns — including the unresolved DA arrears — will find a place in the new Commission's mandate. 'We expect the Terms of Reference to get the government's nod soon. It should be approved at the earliest," Shiv Gopal Mishra, secretary of the Staff Side of NC-JCM, has said in a recent statement to NDTV Profit. No Timeline Yet for Arrears Restoration While the demand for the release of DA/DR arrears continues to gather steam, no official commitment or timeline has been announced by the government so far. For now, employee unions remain hopeful that the matter will be addressed either through the 8th Pay Commission process or via separate financial consideration by the Centre. Until then, the 18-month DA/DR freeze remains an unresolved chapter in the post-pandemic financial landscape for lakhs of central government employees and pensioners. First Published: June 06, 2025, 14:49 IST
NDTV
20-05-2025
- Business
- NDTV
8th Pay Commission: Expected Impact On Salary And Latest Updates
The Indian government has announced the establishment of the 8th Pay Commission, which will impact over 1 crore central government employees and pensioners. This commission will determine salary and pension revisions, with key discussions centred around the fitment factor and minimum wages. The fitment factor is a crucial multiplier used to revise salaries. The 8th Pay Commission's decisions are eagerly awaited by millions of employees and pensioners, who hope for significant revisions reflecting current economic realities. What is the fitment factor? A multiplication unit is used to revise salaries. In the 7th Pay Commission, it was set at 2.57, increasing the minimum salary from Rs 7,000 to Rs 18,000. To calculate a revised salary using a fitment factor, you multiply the current basic pay (which includes basic pay and grade pay) by the fitment factor. Revised Basic Pay = (Current Basic Pay + Grade Pay) X Fitment Factor Current Demand: Employee unions are pushing for a fitment factor higher than 2.57, while experts predict it might be around 1.92 to 2.86. Expected Outcome: The commission's recommendations will affect not only salaries but also pensions and allowances for central government employees, defence personnel, and pensioners. "We are waiting for the Terms of Reference for the 8th Pay Commission to be approved. Then we will move ahead with our demand for these (fitment factor and minimum wage)," a member of the National Council-Joint Consultative Machinery, or NC-JCM, told NDTV Profit on the condition of anonymity. NC-JCM, notably, is an official body comprising bureaucrats and employee union leaders, and its purpose is to resolve all disputes between the government and staff through dialogue. Once the ToR is approved, the staff side's focus will shift towards their demands to be made before the 8th Pay Commission, and the foremost will be their ask related to the fitment factor and minimum wages, another NC-JCM member said. Discussions are ongoing, and the government's approval of the Terms of Reference will pave the way for finalising the fitment factor and minimum wages. The commission's decisions are eagerly awaited by millions of employees and pensioners, who hope for significant revisions that reflect current economic realities.
