Last week, on October 19, the Union Education Minister unveiled the draft report on the National Credits Framework (NCrF) — inviting nationwide public consultations and suggestions on the credits system. The prime objective of the proposed framework is to enhance the employability of students, throughout their education period, by ensuring multidisciplinary learning and vertical continuity along their careers. The most notable aspect of the framework is that, for the first time, it intends to extend the credit system to regular school education. Open schooling environments in India — like Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) and others — have been already deploying credit systems. Choice-based credit systems are also used in the higher education system. While the efficiency of systems like IGNOU is internationally accepted, most other systems are relegated to secondary status. Under NCrF, students shall deposit the credits earned during their school education and higher education in the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) — introduced earlier this year for higher education. This credit, then, can be used for gaining employment or advancing to a higher educational level. Continuity is argued to be at the heart of the framework, as students, in the case of dropping out from the education system, can re-join at some later stage using their credits stored in the data repository. It may be pertinent to note here that such a credit system is in sync with the National Education Policy (NEP) which talks of multi-modal entry and exit points for students so that the chain of education remains intact even if they are forced to go through gap years. In fact, it may be more accurate to say that a framework like NCrF is imperative for the successful implementation of the NEP. Furthermore, irrespective of their core discipline of education, students can earn credits in a range of other subjects as well, which allows them scope for seamless inter-switching between disciplines. Integration is at the core of NCrF. In the first place, it seeks to integrate various disciplines of theoretical knowledge — including science, arts and humanities. This will empower students to break the water-tight compartment of educational streams. It can be seen as a defining transformation in the Indian education system where students won't be disincentivised from learning practical things just for the sake of securing a degree. The framework also integrates theoretical learning with practical learning and skill-based vocational learning. Such integration is completely in sync with the current dispensation's focus on upskilling individuals, and not just imparting theoretical learning. Along the vertical lines, it, in a sense, integrates the primary, secondary and tertiary education systems. Under the framework, the entire education span of a student's life is divided into eight credit levels — the lowest level being grade 5 (level 1) and the highest-level being PhD (level 8). In totality, the National Credit Framework appears to ensure continuity in a student's education process, and broaden the ambit of her learning. However, the presumption of a dropped-out student returning to the fold of education might not be completely right in place. In a large part of India, particularly in rural areas, teenagers getting engaged in some or other form of manual labour, many times staying away from their homes, is a normal phenomenon. Once out of the education system, they hardly find a way in. For them, NCrF might prove to be a temptation that they can ill afford. Also, the quality of higher education in India has already dipped to the bottom. The scope of research and innovation is limited to some creamy pockets of educational excellence. Most public universities have been today reduced to the status of degree providers. The government's quest for the employability of students should not curtail the outlook of research and innovation in higher education. It must be pointed out that a mammoth proportion of skilled Indian youth is waiting for employment opportunities. Actual failure lies in the lack of provisioning of opportunities, and not with the 'unskilled' youth. It will also be folly to see the NCrF as a panacea for the ills of the education system. The rot in the Indian education system is rather too deep. Continuous efforts need to be made to improve the outlook. There is no doubt that NCrF seeks to address some key areas that have been haunting the Indian education system for a long time. Multidisciplinary education and the incorporation of practicality are desired pursuits. Proper safeguards need to be put in place to ensure that the provisions don't backfire. The Education Ministry has opened the dais for debate and discussion. Experts in the educational domain need to come up with appropriate suggestions by November 30 to ensure that this remarkable initiative reaches its intended end.