September 07 – National Buy a Book Day 📚 and April 11 – Safe ePay Day 💳: Building Trust, One Page and One Payment at a Time

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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 07 – Appeal No 105

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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How many Books do you plan to buy today/this week/this month/this year?

September 07 – National Buy a Book Day and April 11 – Safe ePay Day (UPI 10th Birthday 2026): Why Knowledge and Digital Security Belong Together

 

National Buy a Book Day on September 7 encourages buying books to support authors, bookstores, and literacy. Celebrate by purchasing a new or used book, exploring new genres, or gifting one to share the joy of reading.

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September 07 – National Buy a Book Day 📚 and April 11 – Safe ePay Day (Proposed, UPI’s 10th Birthday 🎉💳)

Introduction: A Tale of Two Days 🌍

What if every book you bought also carried a lesson in digital trust? 📖💻
On September 7, the world celebrates National Buy a Book Day, a reminder to support the written word and those who bring it to life. On April 11, 2026, another milestone awaits: the 10th birthday of UPI (Unified Payments Interface), India’s revolutionary instant payment system.

To honor this landmark, April 11 is proposed as Safe ePay Day — a global observance to promote secure digital financial transactions. Linking the joy of book-buying with the responsibility of safe-paying creates a narrative that is both relatable and forward-looking: Buy wisely, pay safely.

National Buy a Book Day: Knowledge as Currency 📖✨

Origins and Significance

Though less publicized than events like World Book Day, National Buy a Book Day is a grassroots initiative observed since the early 2000s, particularly in the U.S. (Book Riot, 2023). Its purpose is simple: encourage people to buy at least one book a year, supporting authors, publishers, and bookstores.

In India, where literacy campaigns and cultural festivals are deeply intertwined, buying books is not just an economic act but a cultural ritual. The Kolkata Book Fair, for example, attracts over 2 million visitors annually, making it one of the largest in the world (The Hindu, 2023).

Why It Matters Today

Books remain vital in an age of reels and memes:

  • They sustain deep thinking in a distracted world.
  • They keep local bookstores alive amid the e-commerce wave.
  • They give authors fair recognition in a creator economy.

📚 Every book purchased is a vote for knowledge over noise.

Buying Books in the Digital Age 📱📚

Gone are the days when books could only be bought from a corner store. Today:

At the heart of these transactions? Digital payments.

India leads globally with UPI (Unified Payments Interface), which has transformed book-buying and beyond. In May 2024 alone, UPI processed over 14 billion transactions (NPCI, 2024). No wonder it’s celebrated as a fintech model worldwide.

But even as digital adoption soars, so do risks: phishing, fraudulent payment links, and fake apps. This is why the vision for Safe ePay Day is timely.

April 11, 2026: UPI’s 10th Birthday 🎂💳

UPI’s Journey

Launched on April 11, 2016, by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), UPI unified multiple bank accounts and payment systems into a single mobile platform (NPCI, 2016). In just 10 years, it has:

  • Expanded to 500+ banks and multiple countries (RBI, 2024).
  • Surpassed 10 billion monthly transactions (NPCI, 2023).
  • Inspired similar frameworks worldwide, including FedNow in the U.S. (Federal Reserve, 2023).

Why April 11 as Safe ePay Day?

By proposing April 11 — UPI’s birthday — as Safe ePay Day, we:

1.    Honor UPI’s global impact as the most successful instant payment system.

2.   Highlight India’s leadership in fintech innovation.

3.   Anchor awareness in a real milestone, making the observance memorable.

Safe ePay Day: Vision and Relevance 🔐🌐

Safe ePay Day would serve as an annual reminder to:

  • Use secure apps and verified merchants.
  • Educate citizens about scams and fraud prevention.
  • Encourage governments and banks to improve infrastructure.
  • Build trust in digital economies, especially in emerging markets.

Much like World Password Day or Safer Internet Day, Safe ePay Day would focus public attention on one crucial habit: security first, convenience second.

When Books Meet Digital Trust 📚🤝💳

Picture this: On September 7, you walk into Flora Fountain in Mumbai, browse the legendary second-hand stalls, and buy a novel. You pay via UPI. That moment is not just about a book — it’s about trust in a transaction.

  • The book nurtures your mind.
  • The payment protects your money.

Together, they represent the future: a society where knowledge and security walk hand in hand.

How to Celebrate Both Days

On September 7 – Buy a Book Day 📖

  • Visit a bookstore and buy something physical.
  • Support independent authors online.
  • Gift a book to a student or friend. 🎁

On April 11 – Safe ePay Day (Proposed) 💳

  • Review your payment security settings.
  • Enable 2FA on your banking apps.
  • Learn to spot phishing links.
  • Teach family (especially seniors) how to pay safely.

Table 1: Book-Buying vs. Safe-Paying Checklist ✅

When Buying a Book 📚

When Making a Payment 💳

Prefer local/indie sellers

Use verified UPI apps only

Check online reviews

Enable 2FA and app lock

Support authors directly

Avoid public Wi-Fi for payments

Compare fair prices

Verify merchant UPI ID

Keep receipts safe

Never share OTPs or PINs

Cultural Parallels: From Mumbai to Frankfurt 🌏

  • Mumbai & Navi Mumbai: Bookstalls near Churchgate and Nerul now accept QR payments. At the Navi Mumbai Book Fair (2024), nearly 70% of sales were UPI-based.
  • Frankfurt Book Fair (Germany): 300,000+ visitors, most transactions are contactless card-based (Frankfurt Book Fair Report, 2023).
  • London Book Fair (UK): Growing use of digital wallets (London Book Fair, 2022).
  • Kolkata Book Fair (India): Over 2 million visitors, majority now using UPI (The Hindu, 2023).

Table 2: Global Book Fairs and Payment Modes 🌐

Book Fair

Country

Annual Visitors

Dominant Payment Mode

Kolkata Book Fair

India

~2 million

UPI / Cards

Frankfurt Book Fair

Germany

~300,000

Cards / Contactless

London Book Fair

UK

~25,000

Digital wallets / Cards

Guadalajara Book Fair

Mexico

~800,000

Cards / Transfers

(Sources: The Hindu, 2023; Frankfurt Book Fair Report, 2023; London Book Fair Data, 2022)

Citizen Advocate’s Viewpoint 👤

As a Citizen Advocate for Safe ePay Day, I see April 11, 2026 not only as UPI’s 10th birthday 🎂 but also as a call to action. Just as one book a year can spark lifelong learning, one safe payment habit can spark lifelong financial trust.

The book preserves stories; the payment preserves dignity. Both are worth protecting.

Conclusion: The Double Pledge 📖💳✨

  • On September 7, buy a book and support knowledge.
  • On April 11, 2026, celebrate UPI’s 10th birthday by pledging to pay safely.

Together, these actions will ensure that while stories flourish, transactions remain secure. One strengthens the mind, the other safeguards the wallet.

Let’s build momentum until April 11 is officially recognized as World Safe ePay Day — a fitting tribute to UPI’s transformative decade.

References

  • Book Riot. (2023). National Buy a Book Day — Why It Matters. Retrieved from https://bookriot.com
  • The Hindu. (2023). Kolkata Book Fair sees record footfall.
  • NPCI. (2016). Launch of Unified Payments Interface (UPI). Press Release, April 11.
  • NPCI. (2023). UPI crosses 10 billion monthly transactions. Retrieved from https://www.npci.org.in
  • RBI. (2024). Payment Systems Report: Trends in Digital Transactions.
  • Federal Reserve. (2023). FedNow Service Launches for Instant Payments.
  • Frankfurt Book Fair Report. (2023). Annual Attendance & Payments.
  • London Book Fair Data. (2022). Commerce Overview.

✍️ Nayakanti Prashant
Citizen Advocate — Safe ePay Day (Proposed, April 11, 2026, UPI’s 10th Birthday)

 

 

## 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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