Cuttack: Ravenshaw University lifted its indefinite closure at 5pm on Saturday. The semester examinations which were disrupted due to the closure will start from May 17.

Varsity vice-chancellor Ishan Patro told The Telegraph that normality returned to the campus after hostels were reopened at the same time.

"The boarders were allowed to enter into the campus only on production of their university identity cards at the entrance. To enter into their hostels also, they had to show their hostel identity cards," Patro said.

"But, we will request all the boarders to vacate the hostels on May 28 so that we can carry out minor repairs and pest control measures during the summer vacation," he said.

The summer vacation will start from May 28 and will continue till July 5.

The university was closed till further notice on Tuesday night in view of the ongoing students' unrest due to course fee hike and deteriorating academic atmosphere on the campus.

The student unrest had centred around Ravenshaw Chhatra Kriyanustan Committee's demand for withdrawal of orders of hiking fees for self-financing courses and to vacate hostels on May 28.

The decision to revoke the closure order was taken after the committee called off their agitation on Thursday.

"We are happy that the gates of the university have been opened for the students again and the semester examinations of undergraduate and postgraduate courses, which were disrupted, have been rescheduled to be held from May 17 to 19," said Saroj Singh, a postgraduate student of history and a boarder of Lalitgiri hostel.

"But, we expect the vice-chancellor to reconsider the decision to get the hostels vacated on May 28," said Ashol Tandi, a postgraduate student of political science and a boarder of the New PG Hostel.

In a related development, the Ravenshaw Bikash Abhijan (RBA) on Saturday made a fresh demand for review of decision to introduce self-financing seats in various departments of the varsity in addition to regular seats and new self-financing courses.

Addressing a news conference, RBA president Chittaranjan Mohanty said: "We expect the vice-chancellor to halt the process as it is tantamount to commercialisation of education in a premier government institution."