News India Live, Digital Desk: If you yourself are a government employee or someone in your family is in a government job, then these days the most common topic being discussed at the tea table of your house is the 8th Pay Commission. When it comes to Pay Commission once every 10 years, the hopes of lakhs of employees and pensioners start fluttering. The 7th Pay Commission was started in 2016, and now 2026 is around the corner. In such a situation, it is natural to raise the question that how much will the salary increase this time? Especially for those employees who fall in pay level 1 to 5, for them this news is not going to be less than a big Diwali. Come, let us understand in very simple words what is this whole matter and how far your salary figure can reach. After all, what is the matter of ‘Fitment Factor’? In pay commission, the whole game is of ‘Fitment Factor’. This is the number which is multiplied by your basic salary to arrive at the new salary. In the 7th Pay Commission it was 2.57. But this time the discussion and demand is that it should be kept at 3.68 or even higher. The joy of Level 1 to 5 people! These are the employees who run the government machinery on the ground and are the worst hit by inflation. Level 1 (eg- MTS): At present the minimum basic salary is ₹ 18,000. If the government accepts the demands of the 8th Pay Commission, then the basic pay can directly reach between ₹ 26,000 to ₹ 34,000. Level 2 to 5 (Assistant, Clerk, etc.): There is a possibility of a huge jump in the salary of those working here. Suppose your basic salary today is around ₹ 25,000, then after the implementation of the new rules, it can see an increase of 30% to 40%. Why wait for 2026? It has been seen for decades that the salary is revised every 10 years. January 1, 2026 is the date which is being considered as the possible time for the implementation of the 8th Pay Commission. Although no official ‘order’ has been issued by the government yet, but the internal committees and employee organizations are putting forward their demands strongly. What will happen to DA (Dearness Allowance)? An interesting thing is that as soon as the 8th Pay Commission is implemented, the DA which has crossed the current 50% can be started back from zero, which will merge with the basic salary and become a bigger amount. This means that the amount of ‘message’ coming to your bank account every month is going to be very big. It is very happy to know my little advice that the money is going to increase, but we should also keep in mind that this is still an ‘estimation’. As the year progresses, the picture will become clearer. It is important to keep an eye on the budget session and upcoming announcements of the central government. Do you think the fitment factor of 3.68 is right considering today’s inflation? How much should your Level 1-5 salary improve? Please share your views with us in the comments.