8th Pay Commission Updates: Demands for 400 Earned Leaves Encashment and CGHS Benefits

8th Pay Commission: Expectations surrounding the 8th Pay Commission are steadily rising among government employees across the country. Amidst this anticipation, the All India NPS Employees Federation is preparing to submit a detailed memorandum to the 8th Pay Commission Chairperson, Ranjana Prakash Desai. Federation President Manjeet Singh Patel recently highlighted several crucial demands, primarily focusing on revamping leave regulations and extending vital health benefits to employees of Union Territories (UT) and Central Autonomous Bodies (CAB).

Demands for Major Overhaul in Leave Encashment and Rules

One of the most prominent demands put forth by the federation is to overhaul the existing leave structure for employees. The primary focus areas include:

• Increased Leave Encashment: A strong demand has been made to expand the encashment limit of Earned Leaves (EL) at the time of retirement from 300 to 400. The rationale is that an employee typically joins at age 25 and serves for 35 years, justifying an increase of 50 ELs. Additionally, if the long-standing demand to raise the retirement age from 60 to 65 is met, it logically accounts for another 50 encashable leaves.
• Family Care Leave: The federation has proposed a one-year special ‘Family Care Leave’ for male employees to help them care for elderly parents or seriously ill family members. This draws a parallel to the two-year Childcare Leave (CCL) currently available to women.
• Special Ritual Leave: While male employees currently receive 15 days of paternity leave, the federation is urging the commission to grant an additional 28 days of special leave to attend crucial social or religious rituals, such as marriages or ceremonies related to deceased parents.
• Enhanced Leaves for Teachers: For teachers working in Union Territories, there is a request to upgrade Casual Leaves (CL) from 8 to 14 and Earned Leaves (EL) from 10 to 30 per year.

Special Provisions for UT and CAB Employees

A significant disparity currently exists for UT and CAB employees who are not appointed through the UPSC, as they are excluded from the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS). Instead, they are restricted to location-specific health facilities. This becomes a major hurdle post-retirement when they relocate to their home states, leaving them without a cashless medical facility.

The federation strongly demands that these employees be granted nationwide CGHS benefits to ensure robust medical security in their later years. Furthermore, Patel pointed out that many central government orders, including the 2021 pension order and the recent Unified Pension Scheme (UPS), are either delayed or denied for CAB employees. The federation expects the 8th Pay Commission to eliminate these anomalies, ensuring simultaneous implementation of all orders for every government employee sector.

When Will the 8th Pay Commission Be Implemented?

According to suggestions by the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), the recommendations of the 8th Pay Commission should take effect from January 1, 2026. This implies that whenever the commission officially rolls out its report, employees and pensioners should receive their arrears calculated exactly from this date.

Following official notifications, the commission typically has an 18-month window to submit its report, with experts estimating an additional six months for actual execution. However, the exact implementation timeline will only be known once the government makes an official announcement.