8th Pay Commission: IRTSA Flags Gaps In Feedback Format, Missing Pension Category

The Indian Railways Technical Supervisors' Association (IRTSA) has raised concerns over inadequate categories in the 8th Central Pay Commission's online feedback submission format. The 8th Pay Commission has invited feedback from various stakeholders regarding their expectations, concerns, and suggestions for consideration before preparing its final recommendations. The Commission has issued an 18-question questionnaire to which stakeholders, including entities and individuals, can submit their responses. Their identity will not be revealed. It has also issued a separate set of nine questions to which stakeholders can submit responses with their names, and thus, it is termed a memorandum or representation from the stakeholders.

The last date to submit a response to the questionnaire is March 31, 2026, and to submit a representation is April 30, 2026. However, recently, the IRTSA pointed out the gaps in the 9-question format for submitting responses. Note that, under this format, there are pre-defined concerns under nice categories. Respondents need to select a concern under each category. There are two boxes: one is for explaining the concern, and the other is for writing a response within 3500 characters.

In its letter to the 8th Pay Commission, the IRTSA flagged these gaps in the format itself that restrict the respondents from freely expressing their concerns and send response. Here are the points raised by the IRTSA.

Nine Themes Inadequate To Cover All The Provisions

It highlighted that the nine-theme format does not cover all the areas that were part of the 7th Pay Commission. It urged the Commission to increase the number of themes to adequately cover all the aspects.

Restriction Of 3500 Characters And Only One Attachment

This limit, according to the IRTSA, to explain the concern and write a response within 3500 words, is not sufficient. Besides, the ‘only one attachment’ restriction should also be increased.

No Mention Of Pension And Family Pension

A pension that provides social security has no specific mention in the 8th CPC representation format. IRTSA urged that this theme needs to be expanded, and all the retirement benefits should be mentioned.

Limited Allowances

The 7th CPC had 196 allowances, whereas in the 8th CPC feedback format, this number has been reduced to 12 groups of allowances. IRTSA stressed that every allowance has a different purpose and is for a different beneficiary group; the restricted provisions in the 8th CPC are insufficient and should be increased.  

No Provision To Express Concerns Of Multiple Categories

As there are multiple groups of staff, such as junior engineers, Senior Section Engineer, Junior Engineer (IT), Senior Engineer (IT), Chemical and Metallurgical Assistant, Chemical and Metallurgical Superintendent, Depot Material Superintendent, Chief Depot Material Superintendent. So, there should be a provision for each of these categories to express their concerns and send a response.

Career Progression

This theme is also inadequate, with the only mention of Modified Assured Career Progression (MACP) and ignoring the functional promotion. The Association suggests modification in this theme, saying that ‘career progression should be focused on functional promotion’.

Further, IRTSA suggested including another theme, ‘classification of posts. As of now, the government posts are classified as Group A, Group B, and Group C, but the roles and responsibilities have significantly changed over time, and thus, this classification should also be restructured. It requests the 8th CPC to conduct a comprehensive examination and create an updated framework relevant to the present administrative and functional requirements.

In addition to it, it urged the Commission to make provision to post judgments by different courts (the Supreme Court, high courts, and administrative tribunals) in the cases filed by respective Associations, Unions, or Individuals.

Notably, the Commission is accepting only online responses submitted through the portal. No email response or offline submission is considered. To this rule, the IRTSA requests the 8th CPC to receive physical copies of memorandums as well, from Unions and Association besides accepting the online memorandum submission.