The Citizen Advocate Summary: Declaring
April 11 as Safe ePay Day
Proposing April 11 as Safe ePay
Day to mark UPI’s pilot launch on April 11, 2016, by NPCI with 21 banks,
initiated by Dr. Raghuram G. Rajan in Mumbai. This initiative celebrates UPI’s
seamless integration of banking and merchant payments.
July 15 – Appeal No 56
April 11 – Declare ‘Safe ePay
Day’,
Yes, April 11 is vacant in the UN
Observance Day calendar
UPI 10th Birthday -April 11 2026 – 270 Days to go
July 15 : World
Youth Skills Day: A Decade of Growth, Innovation, and Safe Digital Empowerment
World
Youth Skills Day, observed by the UN on July 15 since 2014, emphasizes the
importance of equipping youth with skills for employment, entrepreneurship, and
resilience. The 10th anniversary in 2024 highlights digital and AI skills as
vital tools for navigating a rapidly evolving global landscape.
🌍 July 15 – World Youth Skills
Day: Empowering Youth for a Digital Future
✨ A UN Observance Marking a Decade of Skills,
Innovation, and Peace
Every year on July 15, the United
Nations spotlights World Youth Skills Day, a global observance
established by the UN General Assembly in 2014 to highlight the critical role
of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work,
entrepreneurship, and sustainable development. In 2025, as we celebrate its 10th
anniversary, the theme “Youth Empowerment Through AI and Digital Skills”
reflects the transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI), automation,
and digital platforms on careers, economies, and societies worldwide.
🔍 Origins and Purpose
World Youth Skills Day emerged
from the urgent need to address the global youth employment crisis and harness
the potential of young people as drivers of sustainable development. With
projections indicating that 600 million new jobs will be needed by 2030
to meet global youth employment demands, the United Nations created this
observance to foster collaboration among governments, educators, industries,
and youth.
The day emphasizes Technical
and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as a cornerstone for bridging
skill gaps, reducing unemployment, and building inclusive, resilient economies.
Key objectives include:
- Promoting skills development to enhance
employability and entrepreneurship.
- Encouraging dialogue and partnerships to
align education with industry needs.
- Addressing skill mismatches that leave
millions of young people unemployed or in precarious work.
- Empowering youth to contribute to sustainable
development and peacebuilding.
📈 Relevance in a Digital Age
The rapid rise of AI, automation,
and digital technologies has transformed the global job market, making digital
and technical skills indispensable. Key trends shaping the 2025 landscape
include:
- Youth Unemployment Crisis:
Nearly 7 in 10 young people worldwide are unemployed or engaged in
informal work due to skill mismatches, a challenge exacerbated by the pace
of technological change.
- Expanding Digital Fluency:
Beyond basic digital literacy, modern skills now encompass data ethics,
cybersecurity, AI collaboration, cloud computing, and
cross-cultural communication in virtual environments.
- Global Skilling Initiatives:
Programs like India’s Skill India Mission, the National
Education Policy (NEP) 2020, and international partnerships are
creating agile, industry-aligned learning ecosystems to prepare youth for
emerging roles in AI, renewable energy, healthcare, and fintech.
- Peace and Development:
Skills development fosters social cohesion and economic stability,
aligning with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly
SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).
The 2025 theme underscores the
need for youth to master AI-driven tools, ethical technology use, and adaptive
problem-solving to thrive in a rapidly evolving world.
🌐 Global Celebrations and
Programs
World Youth Skills Day 2025 will see a range of events,
campaigns, and initiatives worldwide, each tailored to advance youth skilling
in the context of digital transformation. Below is an expanded overview of key
activities:
|
Location |
Host / Organizer |
Focus / Activities |
Citation |
|
Paris |
UNESCO-UNEVOC |
Hybrid event on “Ethical AI in TVET”; global youth
survey to shape future skills policies; workshops on integrating AI into
vocational training |
[UNESCO] |
|
New York |
UN HQ (Portugal & Sri Lanka Missions, UNESCO, ILO, UN
Youth Office) |
High-level panel “Skills for Peace and Development”;
live webcast on UN WebTV; youth-led discussions on AI’s role in job creation |
[UN WebTV] |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Delhi |
Medhavi Skills University |
Workshop on “Industry-Led Skill-Based Education”
under NEP 2020; partnerships with tech firms to train youth in AI, IoT, and
data analytics |
[MSU] |
|
Odisha & Chhattisgarh |
Vedanta Aluminium |
Community-based skilling programs in 25+ trades
(e.g., welding, IT, renewable energy); >70% placement rate for
trainees; digital literacy camps |
[Vedanta] |
|
Uttar Pradesh |
UP Skill Development Mission |
Rozgar Melas (employment fairs) connecting youth to
employers; motivational talks by industry leaders; exhibitions showcasing AI
and green tech skills |
[UPSDM] |
|
Global |
WorldSkills International |
Campaign #SkillsChangeLives; virtual and in-person
events across six focus areas: digital skills, green skills,
entrepreneurship, leadership, inclusivity, and peacebuilding |
[WorldSkills] |
|
Nairobi |
African Union & UNESCO |
Regional summit on “Digital Skills for Africa’s Youth”;
focus on AI-driven agriculture, e-commerce, and cybersecurity training |
[AU] |
|
Singapore |
SkillsFuture Singapore |
Future Skills Festival; hands-on workshops in AI,
cloud computing, and fintech; youth-led hackathons for sustainable solutions |
[SkillsFuture] |
These events reflect a global
commitment to empowering youth through accessible, inclusive, and
forward-looking skills training.
🔗 A Subtle Link to Safe Digital
Finance
As World Youth Skills Day
emphasizes digital and AI skills, financial literacy—particularly in
secure digital transactions—has emerged as a critical complementary skill. The
rise of digital payment systems, such as India’s Unified Payments Interface
(UPI), launched on April 11, 2016, highlights the need for cyber-safe
financial practices. UPI now processes billions of transactions monthly,
underscoring its role in the global digital economy.
The proposed Safe ePay Day
on April 11 would align with World Youth Skills Day by promoting cybersecurity
awareness and safe e-payment practices as essential components of
digital skilling. Key connections include:
- Secure Transactions:
Training youth to navigate digital payment platforms safely, avoiding
phishing, fraud, and data breaches.
- Financial Inclusion:
Equipping young entrepreneurs with the skills to use digital finance tools
confidently, fostering economic independence.
- Integration with AI Skills:
Combining financial literacy with AI and data analytics training to
prepare youth for roles in fintech and e-commerce.
By integrating secure e-payment
training into TVET programs, we can ensure that young people are not only
creators but also confident, secure participants in the digital economy.
🌱 A Shared Vision for Youth
World Youth Skills Day 2025 calls
for a renewed commitment to empowering young people with the tools to thrive in
a digital, AI-driven world. Let’s focus on:
- Future-Ready Skills:
Equipping youth with expertise in AI, digital ethics, cybersecurity,
entrepreneurship, and financial literacy.
- Inclusive TVET Systems:
Building accessible, hands-on learning ecosystems that integrate ethical
technology use, green skills, and secure digital finance training.
- Youth-Led Policy Design:
Amplifying young voices in shaping education, workforce, and fintech
policies to reflect their needs and aspirations.
- Global Collaboration:
Strengthening partnerships between governments, industries, and
educational institutions to create scalable skilling solutions.
📢 Call to Action: Celebrate World Youth
Skills Day by sharing your story, advocating for youth skilling, and supporting
the establishment of Safe ePay Day on April 11. Together, we can empower
youth to innovate, transact, and thrive in a secure digital economy.
🔗 Learn
More
- UN
World Youth Skills Day: https://www.un.org/en/observances/world-youth-skills-day
- UNESCO-UNEVOC
WYSD 2025: https://unevoc.unesco.org/wysd/
- WorldSkills
International Campaign: https://worldskills.org/what/campaigns/world-youth-skills-day/
- India’s
Skill India Mission: https://www.skillindia.gov.in/
- National
Education Policy (NEP) 2020: https://www.education.gov.in/nep
- UPI
and Digital Payments: https://www.npci.org.in/what-we-do/upi/product-overview
## Call to
Action
I urge
governments, financial institutions, businesses, and communities worldwide to
join hands in declaring April 11 as **Safe ePay Day**.
Let’s
celebrate UPI’s milestone by making **Safe ePay Day** a global movement for
secure, innovative fintech.
Together, we
can build a future where financial access is universal, and every e-payment is
safe—starting with **Safe ePay Day** in 2026.
No Vada Pav, not even one bite,
Till SafeePay Day takes off in flight.
Quirky vow with a Mumbai flair—
Announce the date, and I’ll be there!
Disclaimer: - The only Joy is
Safe ePayments. Nothing More – Nothing Less.
April 11 – Declare ‘Safe ePay
Day’.
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