Central government employees get the option of Modified Assured Career Progression (MACP), where they get promotion on competition of 10, 20 and 30 years of service. The option is important for Group D and Group C employees where promotion opportunities are limited. However, the government in Parliament has clarified that central government civilian employees who retired during the period from 2006 to 2008 under the Sixth Central Pay Commission won’t get MACP benefits of MACP. Here’s why! MACP benefit-related query In a query dated July 23, 2026, Sanjay Singh, member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, asked from Jitendra Singh, Minister of State, Ministry of Personal, Public Grievances and Pensions, why central government employees who retired during the period from 2006 to 2008 under the 6th CPC have not been granted benefits of the MACP scheme? Replying to the query, Jitendra said the central government vide a resolution notified on August 29, 2008, accepted the recommendations of the 6th Pay Commission for the introduction of a MACP scheme with effect from September 1, 2008, with further modification under the scheme to grant three financial upgradations on completion of 10, 20 and 30 years of regular service counted from the direct entry grade or 10 years of service in the same grade pay. “Since the MACP scheme was not in place during the period from January 1, 2006, and August 31, 2008, the question of issuing any OM or granting benefits of the MACP scheme during this period to central government civilian employees, whether in service or retired, does not arise,” says the Minister. Increasing job promotions key demand from employee bodies in 8th Pay Commission National Council of the Joint Consultative Machinery, NC-JCM, the main central government employee body in India, in its memorandum submitted to the 8th Pay Commission, has recommended increasing number of promotions under the MACP from three to five. All India Defence Employees’ Federation, which represents civilian defence employees, has also raised a similar demand in its memorandum. What is NC-JCM’s objection to current MACP scheme? The NC-JCM said in its memorandum that staff such as telephone operators, artisan staffs, drawing office staff, tradesman mate (semi-skilled), cooks, industrial canteen employees, etc, don't get even three promotions in their service career. The NC-JCM further said that the promotion scheme for all category of Group ‘C’ and Group ‘B’ employees should be in a time scale manner (time scale promotion). This is required due to non-availability of higher posts due to the cadre structure, and also, employees recruited in the same batch almost belongs to the same age group and for years, vacancies don’t arise in the higher posts, says the main employee body. Moreover, time scale promotion scheme is available in the case of Group ‘A’ officers, how the Group ‘C’ and Group ‘B’ employees can be discriminated, the NC-JCM argues in its memorandum. The NC-JCM has recommended that the cadre structure of each category should be formed to ensure minimum five promotions in an employee’s service span of 30 years.First financial upgradation after 6 years of service from the date of appointment.Second financial upgradation after 12 years of service from the date of appointment.Third financial upgradation after 18 years of service from the date of appointment.Fourth financial upgradation after 24 years of service from the date of appointment.Fifth financial upgradations after 30 years of service from the date of appointment.