The All India NPS Employees Federation has put forward a set of demands ahead of the 8th Pay Commission’s deliberations, seeking expanded health benefits, improved leave policies, and greater parity for employees working in Union Territories (UTs) and Central Autonomous Bodies (CABs).
Federation president Manjeet Patel is scheduled to meet Shiva Gopal Mishra, Secretary General of the National Council of the Joint Consultative Machinery (NC-JCM) Staff side, on March 12, 2026. The goal is to ensure these demands are included in the common memorandum that NC-JCM will submit to the 8th Pay Commission chaired by Ranjana Prakash Desai.
The proposals focus on addressing disparities in service conditions between central government employees and those working in UTs and autonomous bodies.
One of the federation’s key concerns is that central government orders related to employees and pensioners are not consistently implemented for UT and CAB employees.
According to Patel, several important directives are either delayed or not extended to these employees at all. For instance, the 2021 pension order and the 2025 Unified Pension Scheme order are yet to be implemented for employees working in central autonomous bodies.
The federation has therefore urged the Pay Commission to ensure that all central government employee-related orders are simultaneously circulated to Union Territory administrations and applied uniformly, preventing delays or denial of benefits.
Another major demand relates to healthcare access. The federation wants the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) to be extended to UT and CAB employees who were not recruited through the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
Currently, many such employees rely on state or UT-specific health schemes, which often become difficult to access after retirement, especially when employees relocate to their home states.
Providing CGHS coverage would allow these employees to access cashless medical treatment across India, ensuring continuity of healthcare benefits during and after service.
The federation has also proposed several changes to existing leave policies. Teachers working in Union Territories currently receive eight casual leaves (CL) and 10 earned leaves (EL) annually. The federation is recommending that the 8th Pay Commission increase this entitlement to 14 CLs and 30 ELs per year.
In addition, the federation has proposed introducing one year of parental care leave for male employees, similar to the two-year childcare leave available to women. The proposed leave would allow employees to care for aged parents or family members with serious illnesses in extraordinary situations.
Other proposals include 28 days of leave for family rituals, such as marriage-related events or bereavement-related ceremonies.
As the 8th Pay Commission begins gathering inputs from employee groups and unions, the All India NPS Employees Federation’s proposals highlight growing demands for improved welfare measures and uniform service conditions for government employees.
With NC-JCM preparing a common memorandum for submission to the commission, the coming months are likely to see extensive consultations as stakeholders push for changes in pay structures, pensions, healthcare access, and leave policies that could affect millions of central government employees and pensioners across India.
Disclaimer: This blog has been written exclusively for educational purposes. The securities mentioned are only examples and not recommendations. This does not constitute a personal recommendation/investment advice. It does not aim to influence any individual or entity to make investment decisions. Recipients should conduct their own research and assessments to form an independent opinion about investment decisions.
Investments in the securities market are subject to market risks. Read all the related documents carefully before investing.
Published on: Mar 12, 2026, 12:24 PM IST
We're Live on WhatsApp! Join our channel for market insights & updates
Get the link to download the App
