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India still carrying 'poor country' tag? SC questions Prashant Bhushan

The Supreme Court on Wednesday questioned advocate Prashant Bhushan if India is still carrying the tag of a 'poor country', according to a Bar and Bench report. The observation comes in reference to Bhushan citing data which suggested that since 2011, poverty levels have increased in India. The court was hearing a suo motu plea initiated in 2020, seeking the welfare of the migrant workers during the nationwide lockdown following the Coronavirus pandemic. A two-judge bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh posed the question to Prashant Bhushan and noted, 'Bhushan, 2011, now we are 2025. Are we still carrying the tag of being poor? Are we still on the premise that this country hasn't progressed? What is troubling us is that in 2011, 70 per cent of people were poor, now it has increased to perhaps 80 per cent?' Responding to the bench, Bhushan noted the claim made is not just his, but a similar concern has been flagged by former chief economists, who believe that India's poverty is on the rise. Appearing for the Centre, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati informed the top court that all the directions issued previously by the Supreme Court had been complied with. Migrant hardships during the Covid-19 lockdown On March 24, 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown following a surge in the number of Coronavirus cases. The announcement, which came five days after the PM urged people to observe a self-imposed 'janata curfew', impacted many; however, the section which was the worst impacted were the migrant workers. As many migrants lost their jobs overnight after the industries were shut down with immediate effect, the workers were left to move back to their homes. However, their troubles did not end here as the government also suspended flights, buses, and trains during the lockdown. Many of these migrant workers resorted to walking back to their villages. The government soon responded with a relief package for the migrant workers worth $22.6 billion and ordered 'Shramik Special' trains, which ferried over three million migrants.