In a significant development towards the implementation of the 8th Central Pay Commission (8th CPC), the Office of the Comptroller & Auditor General of India (CAG) has issued an official communication dated 25 February 2026 regarding the circulation of the 8th CPC Questionnaire.
The questionnaire has been placed online to invite structured suggestions and responses from employees, pensioners, associations/unions, and Ministries/Departments across India.
This marks an important participatory phase in the pay revision process.
Official Communication Details
The circular, issued from the Office of the CAG, New Delhi, has been addressed to:
- All Heads of Department (IA&AD)
- Director (Personnel)
The subject of the letter reads:
“8th Central Pay Commission (8CPC) Questionnaire – Reg.”
The communication emphasizes the importance of wide publicity and maximum participation.
Who Can Submit Responses?
The 8th CPC has invited responses under two broad categories:
Individuals and Stakeholders
- Central Government Employees
- Pensioners
- Recognized Associations/Unions
Institutional Responses
- Ministries
- Departments
- Union Territories (UTs)
- Offices under administrative control
This dual structure ensures both personal experiences and institutional perspectives are considered.
What Issues Does the Questionnaire Cover?
The questionnaire reportedly covers a wide spectrum of service-related and financial matters, including:
🔹 Pay Structure
- Basic pay revision framework
- Pay matrix rationalization
- Fitment factor expectations
🔹 Allowances
- House Rent Allowance (HRA)
- Transport Allowance
- Risk/Hardship Allowances
- Other compensatory allowances
🔹 Pension Framework
- Pension revision formula
- Parity between past and present pensioners
- Family pension structure
- Commutation rules
🔹 Career Progression
- MACP (Modified Assured Career Progression) issues
- Promotional hierarchy anomalies
- Stagnation concerns
🔹 Relativity & Pay Parity
- Inter-departmental parity
- Cadre-based disparities
- Defence civilian vs other civilian pay structures
🔹 Fiscal Sustainability
- Financial viability
- Budgetary impact
- Long-term pension liabilities
These issues directly impact serving employees and pensioners, making participation crucial.
Where Is the Questionnaire Available?
The questionnaire is available on:
- MyGov Portal
- Official website of the 8th Central Pay Commission
Employees and pensioners are encouraged to submit their responses directly through the designated online platform.
Instructions Issued to Departments
The communication directs all offices to:
✔ Give wide publicity within their jurisdiction
✔ Circulate through official email groups
✔ Use internal communication systems
✔ Publish on office websites
✔ Display on notice boards
✔ Inform recognized associations/unions
✔ Ensure awareness of submission timelines
The matter has been marked as “Priority”.
Why This Stage Is Important
The questionnaire stage is one of the most critical phases of any Pay Commission process because:
- It shapes the Terms of Reference interpretation.
- It identifies grassroots issues.
- It highlights anomalies from the 7th CPC.
- It provides empirical data for recommendations.
- It allows employee voices before final drafting begins.
Historically, inputs collected during questionnaire phases have significantly influenced pay matrix revisions and pension formulas.
Expected Key Demands from Stakeholders
Based on prevailing discussions among employee federations and pensioner bodies, the following demands are likely to feature prominently:
- Higher fitment factor (greater than 2.57 of 7th CPC)
- Restoration of old pension parity principles
- Improvement in minimum pension
- Rationalization of MACP to 5-year intervals
- Removal of anomalies in pay matrix levels
- Enhanced risk and hardship allowances
What Employees Should Do Now
If you are a:
🟢 Serving Employee
- Carefully study the questionnaire
- Submit structured, data-backed suggestions
- Coordinate with your association
🟢 Pensioner
- Highlight pension parity issues
- Raise concerns regarding medical facilities
- Suggest improvements in family pension benefits
🟢 Association/Union
- Prepare consolidated representation
- Include statistical justification
- Address cadre-specific anomalies
Broader Implications
The 8th CPC is expected to impact:
- Over 50 lakh central government employees
- Around 65 lakh pensioners
- Defence civilians
- Autonomous bodies (indirect impact)
- PSU wage negotiations (reference effect)
The financial impact on the Union Budget could be substantial, making structured feedback even more essential.
Conclusion
The release of the 8th CPC Questionnaire marks a major milestone in the pay revision cycle. With the Government inviting structured participation from all stakeholders, this is a crucial opportunity for employees and pensioners to place their concerns and expectations on record.
Given that the matter has been officially marked as priority, all departments are expected to ensure maximum awareness and participation.
This participatory approach strengthens transparency and inclusiveness in the pay revision process.
