7th CPC Fitment Table

Fitment factor is a multiplication number that is used to arrive at a common result. The 7th Pay Commission multiplies this figure with the basic pay in 6th CPC regime (Pay in Pay band added with Grade pay) for the purpose of determining basic pay in revised pay structure.

The fitment that the 6th CPC had recommended was in the form of grade pay. Lack of consistency in the assessment of grade pay and in the spacing of pay bands have a direct impact on the quantum of fitment benefit. This resulted in numerous stakeholders demanding that a single fitment factor be implemented that can be uniformly applied for all employees.

For the first level of the matrix, the starting point has been fixed at 18,000. This concurs with the present starting pay of 7,000, which is the start of PB-1 viz., 5200 + GP 1800, on the implementation date of the 6th CPC recommendations. The starting point that is now recommended is 2.57 times of what prevailed about 13 years ago. It is being proposed that this fitment factor of 2.57 be applied for all employees uniformly. A Sepoy’s (and equivalent) starting point has been fixed at 21,700 in the Defence Pay Matrix. In the existing pay structure, the starting point is 8,460 for a Sepoy/equivalent.

The new matrix’s fitment is basically a multiple factor of 2.57. This multiple is the ratio of the new minimum pay arrived at by the Commission (18,000) and the prevailing minimum pay (7,000). According to the Ministry of Finance, “It includes a factor of 2.25 on account of DA neutralisation, assuming that the rate of Dearness Allowance would be 125 percent at the time of implementation of the new pay. Accordingly, the actual raise/fitment being recommended is 14.29 percent.”