8th Pay Commission Update: Central Teachers Demand ₹50,000 Minimum Salary, 36% HRA

The Pragatisheel Shikshak Nyay Manch (PSNM), which represents central government teachers, has demanded big changes to salaries, allowances, and promotions ahead of the 8th Pay Commission. In a memorandum submitted on April 20, 2026, they outlined the expectations of teachers working in Union Territories, Kendriya Vidyalayas, and Navodaya Vidyalayas. The PSNM is demanding a major hike in minimum wages and the fitment factor.

The PSNM has proposed that the minimum basic salary for Level-1 employees should be between Rs 50,000 and Rs 60,000. They are also demanding that the basic pay for entry-level teachers at Level-6 be increased to Rs 1,34,500.

The organisation has also recommended a fitment factor between 2.62 and 3.83. This is a big jump from the 7th Pay Commission's 2.57%. On top of that, they are also demanding an annual salary increment of 6-7%.

The PSNM is demanding a hike in House Rent Allowance (HRA) from the current 10%, 20%, and 30% to 12%, 24%, and 36% respectively. The organisation also wants the Dearness Allowance (DA) to be merged with the basic pay once it reaches 50% of the basic salary, with calculations rounded to the nearest decimal.

They have proposed increasing the Children Education Allowance to Rs 7,000 per month per child. The demands also include setting the Transport Allowance at 12-15% of basic pay, with a minimum of Rs 9,000 plus a DA-linked hike. A new proposal is a Digital Assistance Allowance of Rs 2,000 per month.

The PSNM's memorandum also demands 14 casual leaves, 30 earned leaves, and 20 medical leaves annually. It proposes increasing the limit for encashing earned leave after retirement to 400 days. Additionally, they are asking for the Group Insurance Scheme coverage to be raised to Rs 2 crore and the gratuity limit to be hiked to Rs 50 lakh.

The PSNM has put forward demands for a five-day work week and an increase in the bonus amount to Rs 27,640. They are also pushing for a fully cashless healthcare system that covers both OPD and IPD services for teachers.

Regarding career progression, the organisation wants changes to the MACP scheme. They are demanding promotions at 6, 12, 18, and 24 years of service, instead of the current 10, 20, and 30 years. The organisation pointed out that many teachers have to wait up to 20 years for a promotion. In this context, they are demanding that promotions from TGT to PGT posts happen within 6-7 years.

The PSNM has repeated its demand to bring back the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) and scrap the NPS and UPS. They also suggested raising the retirement age to 65 and putting 'One Rank, One Pension' (ORP) in place for government employees.