The staff and government representatives of the National Council of the Joint Consultative Machinery (NC-JCM) are set to hold the 49th annual meeting on May 11, 2026, to discuss a number of issues related to central government employees and pensioners. The meeting, to be chaired by the cabinet secretary, will discuss some key topics like full reimbursement of medical expenses, increasing family pension and fixed medical allowance, regional recruitment of non-gazetted staff, determination of minimum qualifying service for promotion to non-gazetted grades, among others.
The agenda of the meeting was revealed in a letter from the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievance and Pensions, to Shiva Gopal Mishra, secretary, NC-JCM (staff side), and other members.
The meeting will have 12 members from the staff side of NC-JCM and officials from the central government. The recommendations from the staff side are discussed with the government side, which is the authority to take action on suggestions.
Here are the key issues that the NC-JCM staff and government sides are set to discuss in their 49th annual meeting on May 11 meeting.
Additional pension and medical facilities to pensioners
In its proposal for the meeting, NC-JCM (staff side) has highlighted Parliamentary Standing Committee recommendations pertaining to additional pension and medical facilities for pensioners. The staff side says these recommendations are yet to be fulfilled and should be implemented soon. These recommendations are-
Additional pension for pensioners from 65 years of age
The staff side, quoting Parliamentary Committee recommendations, says pensioners get an additional pension of 20% on reaching 80 years of age. The employee body claims employees should be provided an additional pension of 5% on attaining 65 years of age, 10% on reaching 70 years of age and 15% on turning 75.
Payment of family pension equal to full pension amount
The staff side says according to the CCS (Pension) Rules, family pension is payable at 30% of the notional pay of the deceased employee/pensioner, which means there is a deduction of 40% in the family budget immediately after the demise of the pensioner.
The staff side says the 5th Central Pay Commission had recommended that family pension should be equal to the full pension of the deceased.
Inclusion of widowed dependant daughter-in-law for claiming family pension
NC-JCM (staff side) will demand that the definition of ‘family’ be revised to include widowed dependent daughters-in-law for claiming family pension.
The staff side says under Section 19 of the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act, 1956, a daughter-in-law is entitled to be maintained after the death of her husband by her father-in-law.
More CGHS centres in districts and medical allowance of Rs 3,000
Quoting a Parliamentary committee, the staff side says CGHS centres should be opened at district locations or the existing functional government hospitals in district headquarters should be designated as CGHS.
Reimbursement of medical treatment expenditure
The staff side says it has repeatedly raised concerns that hospitals recognised under CGHS and Central Services (Medical Attendance) rulesCS(MA) charge more than the prescribed package rates for medical treatments.
In the meeting, the employee body will urge the health ministry to issue clear instructions to ensure the full reimbursement of actual medical expenses for government employees and their dependents.
Medical facilities either for employees’ parents or parents-in-law
The employee body highlights that the health ministry in July 2023 allowed central government employees under CGHS to choose either their parents or parents-in-law as dependents for availing medical benefits.
The staff side will request the government to issue necessary instructions to extend this benefit to CS(MA) beneficiaries as well.
The employee body says it will request the government that the option to choose parents or parents-in-law as dependents should also be extended to employees covered under the Retired Employees Liberalized Health Scheme (RELHS).
Other than that, NC-JCM (staff side) will also request the government to formulate a policy that includes full dental treatment coverage for serving and retired employees and their dependents, similar to other medical benefits.
Regional recruitment of non-gazetted staffs
NC-JCM (staff side) will discuss that the recruitment of regional people should be done to fill non-gazetted posts.
The employee body says that after the Radhey Shyam Singh vs Union of India (1996) case in the Supreme Court, Group C recruitment was centralised through the Staff Selection Commission on an all-India basis, replacing regional recruitment.
NC-JCM (staff side) says this system led to severe manpower shortages in less-preferred regions, particularly in the southern region, as candidates either avoid these postings or leave soon after joining.
“As a result, those regions are facing the crisis of severe manpower shortage and even day-to-day functioning is seriously being compromised for huge vacant posts in Group C level,” says the employee body.
Determination of minimum qualifying service for promotion to non-gazetted grades
The staff side will discuss that there is a need for at least five promotions during the service span of Group C employees.
The central government employee body says while Group A promotions are supported by detailed cadre review justifications, no such rationale exists for Group C cadres, where structures differ widely across departments.
This lack of clarity, along with long qualifying service requirements (e.g., 10 years from Level 4 to Level 6), leads to stagnation and hampers career progression, says NC-JCM (staff side).
To address this anomaly, NC-JCM will propose reducing the minimum qualifying service for promotion.
Apart from that, the employee body wants the residency period beyond Level 6 to be capped at 6 years to ensure equitable career progression for Group C employees.
New MACP entitlement of pharmacist
NC-JCM will discuss revised Modified Assured Career Progression Scheme (MACP) for central government pharmacists. The employee body argues an entry-grade pharmacist from January 1, 2006, gets a Grade Pay of Rs 2800/- in Pay Band 1 (PB-1). On completion of two years of service, all incumbent pharmacists are upgraded to the ‘non-functional’ next higher grade (PB-2) pay scale of Rs 4,200, irrespective of vacancies. This upgradation, considered as promotion, is treated as the 1st MACP.
In the May 11 meeting, the staff side will demand that the upgradation should not be considered as the first MACP and pharmacists should be promoted as follows-
1st MACP- GP Rs 4,600/-
2nd MACP- GP Rs 4,800/-
3rd MACP- GP Rs 5,400/-
