Row Over 8th Pay Commission ToR Deepens as Pensioners Seek Explicit Inclusion

Overview

• The Central Government Pensioners’ Welfare Association, Jammu, has written to the Prime Minister, Finance Minister, Minister of State for Pensions, and the Pay Commission chair raising objections to the notified ToR.
• CGPWA argues the ToR language confines the commission’s scope to serving employees, effectively excluding existing pensioners and family pensioners.
• The Finance Ministry has told Parliament that pensions and gratuity remain within the 8th Pay Commission’s remit for both NPS and non‑NPS employees, citing fiscal sustainability as the reason for the ToR phrasing.
• The association objects to the term 'unfunded cost of non-contributory pension schemes' and cites Supreme Court rulings that treat pension as a property right and deferred wage.
• Employee unions highlight gaps such as no explicit pension revision, ambiguity on DA merger, no mention of a January 1, 2026 effective date, and unclear treatment of contractual staff, warning of nationwide protests without ToR changes.