The UK issued 56,000 visas to Indian students in 2020, a 13 per cent increase from the year before, the secretary of state for the UK home department, Priti Patel, said on Wednesday.

She was addressing a session on “Global Leadership —Women First: Radical Actions in the Post-Pandemic Era” at the India Global Forum.

“Last year, we issued 56,000 visas to Indian students. That is a 13 per cent increase from the previous year and that is also through the pandemic. A programme for the post study route is also being launched which is basically a post study work route that will bring the brightest and the best. The UK will be the place for Indian students to come and study, and also work and contribute in the long run,” she added.

Speaking at the forum, Kenya’s cabinet secretary for sports, heritage & culture Amina Mohamed said the UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 — gender equality — has been one of the most affected aspects of the SDGs by the pandemic.

There needs to be a short, medium and long term plan to ensure gender equality, she added.

“The expectation is if we all walk together so women can get back to work and on their feet. There are a lot of measures we can put in place. We can plan what can be done in the short, medium and long term,” she said.