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.
September 06 – Appeal No 104
April 11 – Declare ‘Safe ePay
Day’,
Yes, April 11 is vacant in the UN
Observance Day calendar
UPI
10th Birthday -April 11 2026 – 217 Days to go
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September 06 – National Read a Book Day: Turning Words into Safer ePayments
National Read a Book Day is the perfect day to get lost in a good book. You are encouraged to get your head down and get lost in a story, whether fact or fictional.
It is also a great day for encouraging others to read books and raising awareness about them.
After all,
there are many different benefits that are associated with reading.
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September 06 – National Read a Book Day: Stories Inspire Safer Transactions
September 6 — National Read a
Book Day
Intertwined with April 11 — Safe
ePay Day (Proposed)
Author's note: This
post celebrates the quiet joy of reading and the urgent need for digital
financial literacy — tying together National Read a Book Day (September
6) with the proposed Safe ePay Day (April 11).
It’s written for readers,
educators, fintech enthusiasts, citizen advocates, librarians, and anyone who
cares about safer, smarter money movement. 📚💳✨
Opening: Two Dates, One Purpose
On September 6 we are invited to
slow down, open a book, and let a world of ideas in. On April 11, Safe ePay Day
— a proposed observance — asks us to slow down before we tap, send, or approve:
to be mindful of how we move money in a digital world.
At first glance these days live
in different orbits: one for quiet reflection and imagination, the other for
practical safety and civic advocacy. But they share a deeper soul: both ask
that we learn, reflect, and act with intention. 📖🔍💡
Reading teaches empathy,
analysis, and pattern recognition — the same skills that make a citizen a safer
user of digital payments.
In this post I argue that
National Read a Book Day and Safe ePay Day are perfect allies: pairing the
reflective practice of reading with accessible, evidence-based education about
secure electronic payments builds healthier financial habits across ages and
communities.
Why Celebrate Reading and Safe
Payments Together?
1.
Reading fuels comprehension. A person
who reads regularly is more likely to digest lengthy terms, spot red flags in
unusual messages, and follow step-by-step security instructions. 🧠📘
2.
Financial technology evolves fast — learning
prevents harm. New payment rails, apps, and social engineering
techniques appear regularly. Book-based learning (and curated reading lists)
offers durable frameworks to understand risk, design, and human behaviour. 📈🛡️
3.
Ritual matters. National
Read a Book Day is a ritual that prioritizes time for learning. Safe ePay Day
can borrow that ritual energy — turning a single day into an annual nudge:
read, learn, test, and secure. 🔁🎯
4.
Books create shared vocabulary. In
schools, libraries, and workplaces, a book club or curated reading list creates
a common language to discuss payments, scams, and policy — making public
conversations more effective. 🗣️📚
Origins and Context (A Short
Primer)
National Read a Book Day is
observed each year on September 6. It’s a gentle cultural reminder to set aside
time for books — new, old, fiction, and nonfiction — and to re-centre reading
in our lives.
Safe ePay Day is a
proposed observance advocated by digital payments enthusiasts and citizen
advocates to highlight the importance of secure electronic payments. April 11
is a natural candidate because it marks the pilot launch of a transformative
instant-pay rail ( The
Awesome UPI) in India in 2016. The proposed day can celebrate progress in
digital payments while calling attention to responsible use and safety. 🗓️🔐
(If you’re a numbers person: the
Unified Payments Interface (UPI) began as a pilot in April 2016 and later
scaled rapidly — the story of UPI is a useful case study for Safe ePay
learning.)
Reading as a Tool for Digital
Resilience
Let’s be practical: what does
reading actually give us as users of digital payments?
- Better comprehension of security prompts.
Apps and bank notifications use specific language — understanding those
terms reduces error.
- Pattern recognition for scams.
Phishing messages often contain subtle linguistic cues; trained readers
spot them sooner.
- Curiosity to dig deeper.
Books often lead to more books, articles, and communities that discuss
payment design, privacy, and law.
- Empathy in product design and instruction.
Readers who care about narrative are better at explaining technical steps
to non-technical friends and family. ❤️👵👴
A Curated Reading List for Safe
ePay Enthusiasts
Below is a practical reading list
that blends policy, technical security, storytelling, and user-centered design.
These books are chosen to help anyone — from concerned parents to product
managers — understand payments, risk, and how to communicate protections
clearly. 📚🔖
Core fintech & payments books
- Digital Bank
(Chris Skinner) — explains how banking is changing and what digital
transformation means for users and organizations.
- Bank 4.0
(Brett King) — a forward-looking take on how everyday banking will
disappear into the background and what that means for regulation and
safety.
- The FINTECH Book
(Susanne Chishti & Janos Barberis) — an accessible anthology of
fintech trends, use cases, and how startups are reshaping financial
services.
India / UPI-specific reads
- UPI Revolution: Catalysing India's Digital
Economic Growth — a readable account of UPI's
development and its economic effects. (Great for anyone wanting an
India-focused case study.)
- The Rise of UPI: Transforming Payments in
India — another practical look at the technical
and social adoption of instant payments.
Security, privacy & human behaviour
- Security Engineering
(Ross Anderson) — deep and technical but invaluable for designers and
policymakers who want the foundation of secure systems.
- Data and Goliath
(Bruce Schneier) — explores surveillance, data collection, and privacy,
helping readers consider how payment data is used.
- The Art of Invisibility
(Kevin Mitnick) — practical privacy tips you can use today, including for
financial accounts.
- Cyber Security and the Future of Digital
Payments (Gerald Bernhardt) — focused on threats to
payment systems and mitigation approaches.
Books on communication and behaviour
change
- Nudge (Richard Thaler
& Cass Sunstein) — how small design choices influence behaviour —
essential reading for anyone building safer payment experiences.
- Made to Stick
(Chip Heath & Dan Heath) — helps communicators craft messages about
safety that people remember and follow.
How to use this list
- For librarians and educators:
host a fintech reading club around one of these books, invite a local
bank’s security officer for a Q&A, or plan a read-and-learn series
around Safe ePay Day.
- For fintech teams:
pick one book per quarter; run lunch-and-learns to translate concepts into
product improvements.
- For citizens: choose
two readable books from the list (one technical, one practical) and
summarize key takeaways on your social feed to spread awareness.
Quick Reading Guides: Bite-sized
Learning Plans
If 400–600 pages feels like too
much, here are micro-plans you can finish in a weekend or across four evenings.
Weekend crash course (ideal for a
small community group):
- Day 1: Read a short primer or chapter on
UPI/digital payments.
- Day 2: Read one chapter on security or
privacy best practices.
- Day 3: Run a practice session: set up a mock
payment, review app permissions, change a weak password.
- Day 4: Share lessons learned and distribute a
one-page checklist.
Four-evening plan for families:
- Night 1: Read & discuss ‘how payments
move’ (use a kids-friendly explainer).
- Night 2: Read about common scams and
role-play a suspicious message.
- Night 3: Strengthen family accounts: PINs,
device locks, and two-factor authentication (2FA).
- Night 4: Celebrate with a reading of a
fintech-themed short story or op-ed, and commit to a family Safe ePay
pledge.
Celebrating September 6 and April
11 in Tandem — Event Ideas
- Read & Secure pop-ups at libraries.
Pair a reading corner with a short clinic where volunteers help update app
settings and teach basic scam recognition.
- Fintech Book Clubs.
Select a monthly fintech title, meet monthly, and culminate the series on
April 11 with a community pledge.
- School poster & story contests.
Young writers: craft a short story where a curious protagonist learns to
spot a scam; winners get books or workshops.
- Librarian + Bank Partnerships.
Local branches and libraries co-host sessions where librarians recommend
accessible readings and bank officers offer practical demos.
- Readathon for Resilience. A
24-hour reading relay for fintech and cyber-safety books; teams fundraise
to support digital literacy in underserved communities.
- ‘Ask Me Anything’ with a Security Officer.
Livestreamed Q&A on the library’s social channels — promote reading
lists and practical how-to’s.
An Organizer’s Template:
90-minute Event (Read & Secure)
Objective: Combine
the joy of reading with hands-on steps to improve individual payment security.
Agenda:
- 0–10 min: Welcome, short reading excerpt
(from a recommended book) ✨
- 10–25 min: Mini-talk — How digital payments
work (plain language) 🔧
- 25–50 min: Interactive demo — reviewing
permissions, enabling 2FA, identifying phishing links 🛡️
- 50–70 min: Small groups — role-play
suspicious messages and decide whether to trust them 🤝
- 70–85 min: Q&A with volunteer security
expert 🎤
- 85–90 min: Closing with a Read & Secure
pledge; distribute one-page checklist 📝
Materials: projector, printed
checklists, a curated list of book printouts or PDFs, a volunteer security
lead, and signup sheets.
Sample Shareable Checklist
(One-Page)
- Use strong, unique PINs and app passwords ✅
- Keep the phone OS & banking app updated 🔁
- Avoid sharing OTPs or PINs — bank WILL never
ask for them 🎯
- Use app locks / biometric authentication
where available 🔒
- Confirm merchant URLs; avoid clicking links
from unknown messages 🔗
- Review app permissions monthly and remove
unnecessary ones 🧭
- Teach older relatives the practice of
verifying unknown calls/messages 👵👴
Case Study Snapshot: UPI’s Story
(Why April 11 is Meaningful)
The Unified Payments Interface
(UPI), piloted in April 2016, is a powerful example of how a payment rail can
transform access, convenience, and financial inclusion. Its rapid growth offers
lessons about design, trust, scalability, and the continuing need for education
on security.
As advocates for Safe ePay Day,
we can celebrate technological achievements like UPI while reminding
users—especially new users—that convenience must be matched by literacy and
safety. 🏁🔍
Scams, Stories, and How Reading
Helps Spot Them
Scammers often rely on social
engineering and storytelling. They craft believable narratives — “your bank
account is at risk,” “you won a prize,” “update your KYC now” — and then prompt
action. Readers are practice detectives: they notice inconsistencies,
improbable timelines, and emotional manipulations.
Here’s a small checklist to test
a suspicious message:
- Who is the sender? Is the email address a
legitimate domain?
- Do they ask for secrecy or immediate action?
(red flag)
- Are there spelling or grammar errors? (common
in scams)
- Is the link mismatched with the displayed
name? (hover to check)
- Are they requesting OTPs or PINs? (never
share)
Reading fiction sharpens
intuition about motives and plausibility; reading nonfiction explains the
tactics and infrastructure. Together they make a formidable defense.
For Librarians and Educators — A
Mini Curriculum
Module 1: How Payments Move (1
hour)
- Simple diagrams, role-play how money moves
from a payer to a merchant.
Module 2: Common Scams & How
to Spot Them (1 hour)
- Real examples (redacted), group analysis, and
a short quiz.
Module 3: Hands-on Security (1
hour)
- Walkthroughs to enable 2FA, lock screens, and
basic privacy settings.
Module 4: Storytelling for Safety
(45 min)
- Have participants write a short story in
which a character resists a scam using things they learned.
Deliverables: a one-page family
pledge, reading list, and local helpline contact card.
Measuring Impact: Metrics That
Matter
If you run a campaign that ties
the two days together, track things like:
- Number of participants who complete the
reading list 📈
- Number of devices upgraded/secured at pop-up
events 🔧
- Community reach: library checkouts of
recommended books 📚
- Follow-up actions: how many people change
passwords or enable 2FA within 30 days 🔒
Small wins matter — a single
person who avoids a scam because they read one chapter is a big success.
Stories & Prompts — Build a
Short Anthology
Invite your community to write
300–700-word flash fiction pieces that combine books and payments: a
grandmother learns about UPI from a flyer and then helps her grandson start a
small business; a student who loves reading becomes a neighbourhood advocate
for secure payments; a librarian discovers a scam and turns the experience into
a teachable story.
Compile the best into a local
anthology and distribute it on April 11 as a celebration of both days. ✍️🌍
Accessibility and Inclusion —
Reach Everyone
Digital literacy is not
universal. Make sure events include:
- Translations into local languages 🗣️
- Large-print handouts and audio read-alouds
for low-vision participants 🔊
- Mobile-first demonstrations for those who
only have smartphones 📱
- Child-friendly versions of materials for
school outreach 🧒
Libraries are uniquely positioned
to bridge gaps; partner with local NGOs, banks, and schools to increase reach.
Policy and Advocacy — Turning a
Proposed Day into Change
If you’re helping promote Safe
ePay Day as a proposed observance, consider the following steps:
- Draft a clear, shareable brief on what the
day means and the behaviors it promotes.
- Build a coalition: libraries, banks, NGOs,
universities, and tech companies.
- Create reproducible event kits that local
organizers can download and use.
- Publish short, readable explainers and
translate them into multiple languages.
The goal isn’t just recognition —
it’s to build recurring education and measurable improvements in user safety.
Closing Reflection: Stories that
Protect
Books open our minds; knowledge
protects our wallets. Combining the ritual of reading with the practical work
of digital safety makes both practices richer. On September 6, pick a book that
teaches you something new about the digital world; on April 11, pledge to act
on what you’ve learned: secure your accounts, teach a friend, and support the
idea of a Safe ePay Day that helps communities adopt safer habits. 🌱📘🔐
Call to Action
1.
Pick one book from the
curated list above and read one chapter this month. Share a short note about
what you learned on social media with the hashtag #ReadAndSecure. 📣
2.
Organize a Read & Secure event at your
local library or community centre on September 6 (or April 11). Use the
one-page checklist. 🗓️
3.
Start a fintech book club: invite neighbours,
friends, and colleagues to read one title every two months and translate
lessons into simple security actions. 🤝
Below are the key citations I
used to support the most important factual claims in the post (so you can copy
them into the post if you want inline citations), plus the specific book
sources / references for the Safe ePay reading list:
🎉📚💳✨
Core citations (most
load-bearing)
- National Read a Book Day (date &
context). (Days Of The Year, National Day Calendar)
- NPCI press release — UPI pilot launch on April
11, 2016. (NPCI)
- UPI explained (overview & launch
context). (Investopedia,
Wikipedia)
- BIS paper on UPI and the scale of digital
payments (context & lessons). (Bank for
International Settlements)
Book references and sources (for
the curated reading list)
- UPI Revolution: Catalysing India's Digital
Economic Growth — publisher listing / product info. (Amazon)
- The Rise of UPI: Transforming Payments in
India — product listing. (Amazon)
- Cyber Security and the Future of Digital
Payments — product listing / overview. (Barnes &
Noble)
- Security & recommended reading lists
(cybersecurity reading list inspiration). (Splunk)
- Additional
resources explaining UPI and the digital payments landscape. (Digital India,
ICICI Bank)
## 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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