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 30 – Appeal No 69
April 11 – Declare ‘Safe ePay
Day’,
Yes, April 11 is vacant in the UN
Observance Day calendar
UPI 10th
Birthday -April 11 2026 – 255 Days to go
July 30 International Day Friendship:
How Friendship and Fintech Are Both Built on Trust
International Day of Friendship,
celebrated on July 30, is a global occasion dedicated to honouring the bonds of
friendship that enrich our lives.
It
encourages people to express gratitude for their friends and foster connections
through acts of kindness and appreciation.
🌐 July 30 – International Day of
Friendship
Celebrating Connection in a
Digitally Divided World
In a time when the world feels
simultaneously more connected and more fragmented, the International Day of
Friendship, observed every July 30, reminds us of something
fundamental—friendship isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity.
Endorsed by the United Nations
in 2011, this day encourages mutual understanding, reconciliation, and a
shared vision for peace. It promotes the belief that friendships—whether
between individuals, communities, or countries—can ignite change.
🕊️ UN Origins and Global Vision
The concept of a friendship day
isn’t new. As early as 1958, Dr. Ramón Artemio Bracho launched
the “World Friendship Crusade” in Paraguay, which advocated for a day dedicated
to international friendship. That grassroots movement grew over decades until,
in 2011, the UN General Assembly formally adopted July 30 as the International
Day of Friendship through resolution A/65/L.72.
“Friendship is the simplest way
to build bridges between communities,” noted former UN Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon, “especially in areas marred by conflict.”
🧭 The UN’s Objectives:
- Promote dialogue among civilizations
- Strengthen solidarity among peoples
- Encourage youth-led peace initiatives
- Foster cross-cultural understanding
🇮🇳 Friendship Day in India – A
Weekend of Warmth and Whimsy
Although the UN observes it on July
30, India celebrates Friendship Day on the first Sunday of August—in
2025, that’s August 3. And it’s not just a calendar event; it’s a
cultural moment, a social ritual, and for many, a nostalgic throwback to
schoolyard memories and tied wristbands.
🌈 How India Celebrates:
- Friendship Bands:
Schoolchildren and college students still tie colorful bands, sometimes
customized with names or initials—digital versions even trend on WhatsApp
and Instagram stories.
- Theme Parks & Nightlife: In
2025, amusement parks in cities like Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Bhubaneswar
are hosting “Friendship Foam Fests”, DJ-led wave pool dances, and extended
evening hours (TOI,
2025).
- Media & Messaging:
News outlets like NDTV and ET provide curated Friendship
Day quotes, memes, and emotional greetings, which trend across Indian
social media timelines (ET,
2025).
- TV Specials & Streaming Shows:
The Telugu entertainment industry celebrates with shows like “Prathi
Roju Pandage”, weaving themes of enduring friendship through dance,
drama, and celebrity appearances (TOI
Telugu).
🤝 Modern Friendships, Digital
Threads
Friendship in the 21st century is
often nurtured across screens and time zones. While this enables connections,
it also raises new challenges:
- Are these bonds secure?
- Can trust travel through code?
- Is connection enough without safety?
That’s why interpersonal trust
and technological trust must evolve side by side.
🔐 A Gentle Interlink: Why Safe
ePay Day (April 11) Also Deserves Recognition
While July 30 is a celebration of
emotional trust, April 11—the proposed Safe ePay Day—would honor digital
trust, especially in fintech ecosystems. On April 11, 2016, India’s UPI
(Unified Payments Interface) was piloted, marking a turning point in how
people exchange value securely.
Much like friendship, trust in
digital payments needs nurturing, awareness, and safeguards. A day like Safe
ePay Day would serve to:
- Promote cybersecurity awareness
- Celebrate the global legacy of UPI
- Encourage communities to engage in responsible
digital finance
Just as friends protect each
other, our digital systems must protect their users.
💸 Latest UPI Milestones (2025)
As of mid-2025, India’s UPI
continues to redefine the digital landscape:
- 18.39 billion transactions in June alone,
worth ₹24.03 lakh crore
- 650 million+ daily transactions,
making it the largest real-time payments system globally
- UPI now accepted in Nepal, UAE, Singapore,
Mauritius, France, and Sri Lanka
- Upcoming rule changes (from August 1, 2025):
- Balance checks limited to 50/day per app
- Autopay to run in non-peak hours only
- PIN-less biometric authentication
being explored
- All UPI transactions will continue to be
GST-free
These evolving rules are designed
to maintain system efficiency, prevent overload, and reinforce trust in India's
digital payment infrastructure.
📣 Final Thought – Celebrate the
Bonds That Secure Us
On July 30, let’s tie more
than just friendship bands—let’s tie intentions:
- To build trust
- To protect what we share
- To champion secure systems that respect human
connection
And as we approach April 11,
let us remember that safe friendships and safe financial systems
both begin with awareness and mutual respect.
- Appeal for Safe ePay Day 🌟
## 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’.
Appeal to Declare April 11 as
Safe ePay Day
Driven by belief in UPI’s transformative power, this initiative—free of
personal gain—aims to celebrate India’s fintech legacy and spark a global
movement for secure, inclusive e‑payments.
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