“Which world in which these people live?”

The co -founder of Hotmail, Sabir Batia, questioned allegations that 250 million Indian people are no longer poor, describing the standard of $ 5 per day “ridiculous” and asks how anyone can withstand the basic life needs of such a number.

In a post on X, Bhatia challenged the idea that escaping from “extreme poverty” on paper translates into meaningful economic lifting. “Really? Can you send your children to school, buy books, shoes, food, pay rent and facilities on that?” books. “Which world in which these people live?”

His comments come amid increasing criticism of the World Bank’s World Bank poverty, which is often used to declare success in mitigating poverty.

Even at a higher threshold of $ 4.20/day, nearly a quarter of India’s population will remain qualified as a poor-a fact that has been ignored in the festive novels.

Bathaya’s comments have sparked broader discussions on how to define and measure poverty. One of the X users published sarcastically: “If you do not have to beg in your next meal, then you are from the middle class”, where the bureaucracy mentality creates behind the indicators of “multidimensional poverty” that fails to reflect the actual living standards.

Live cost surveys these concerns. In cities like Delhi, even the main monthly survival exceeds $ 415 – equivalent to $ 5 per day. Analysts say that at this level, education, health care and decent housing are still far from everyone’s reach.

Critics argue that allegations of limiting group poverty hide a more fragile fact: a large group of population hovering directly above statistical thresholds, and still depends on the welfare of the state and very weak for economic shocks such as disease or job loss.

Opposition and economists also questioned the official narration, pointing to the slow consumption data and the ongoing need for food supported to emphasize the separation between political demands and daily conflicts.

As Batia noticed, the technical upgrade from $ 3 to $ 5 per day may make a convincing title-but it does not translate into a real and sustainable middle-class life.