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Fitment factor explained

The single number that decides your new basic pay under a pay commission, and why a big fitment factor is not the same as a big pay rise.

Last updated September 2026 · by NE Media

What is the fitment factor?

When a new pay commission starts, your old basic pay is converted into a new basic pay by multiplying it by a common number, the fitment factor. The result is then matched to a cell in the new Pay Matrix.

New basic pay ≈ old basic pay × fitment factor

How the 7th CPC got 2.57

The 7th Pay Commission used a fitment factor of 2.57. On 1 January 2016, Dearness Allowance under the 6th CPC was 125%, so an employee was already getting 2.25 times their basic pay as basic plus DA. Of the 2.57, about 2.25 simply absorbed that DA into basic pay, and the remaining part, roughly 14%, was the real increase. DA then restarted from 0%.

What might the 8th CPC use?

No fitment factor has been announced. Figures you will see discussed include 1.92, 2.28 and 2.86. Employee organisations tend to argue for higher figures and budget considerations pull the other way. The final number will only be known when the Government accepts the 8th CPC report.

The number that really matters: DA

Because DA is reset to 0% when the new pay starts, the fair comparison is not old basic pay against new basic pay, but old basic pay plus DA against new basic pay.

In January 2026, 7th CPC DA was 60%, so basic plus DA was 1.60 times basic pay. That means any fitment factor above 1.60 is a real increase, and anything close to it is barely a rise at all.

Worked example: Level 6, basic pay ₹35,400

This compares basic pay and DA only. HRA, transport allowance and other allowances also change, and HRA rates may drop when DA resets, so your full take-home change will differ. The calculator shows the complete picture.

Quick rule of thumb

• Real increase ≈ fitment factor ÷ (1 + DA at the changeover) − 1. With 60% DA: 2.28 ÷ 1.60 − 1 ≈ 42%.
• If DA rises further before the 8th CPC starts (for example to 63% or 66%), the same fitment factor gives a smaller real increase.