8th Pay Commission: Old Pension Scheme Benefits for Central Government Employees The 49th meeting of the National Council-Joint Consultative Machinery (NC-JCM) took place on May 11, 2026, under the chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary T.V. Somanathan. The gathering focused on critical issues affecting central government employees, including pension reforms, promotions, compassionate appointments, and medical reimbursements. The discussions highlighted the demand for extending benefits of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) to certain categories of employees, sparking significant interest among the workforce. Key demands centered on the OPS, which was discontinued by the government on January 1, 2004. Staff representatives argued that employees recruited before December 22, 2023, should be eligible for OPS benefits, citing administrative delays as a justification. They emphasized that the delay in processing vacancies should not penalize employees, particularly those who joined after 2004. The Department of Expenditure (DoE) and Department of Posts and Public Works (DoP&PW) reportedly agreed to this demand, offering relief to affected employees. Another major point of discussion was the inclusion of compassionate appointments for the dependents of deceased government employees. The meeting proposed that if a government employee died before 2003, their dependents who applied for compassionate appointments before the cutoff date should be granted OPS benefits. This provision aims to ensure financial security for families of deceased employees, particularly those who joined the service after 2004.#8th_pay_commission #nc_jcm #t_v_somanathan #department_of_expenditure #department_of_posts_and_public_works
