Bhubaneswar, Nov. 8: Normality has been restored on the Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya campus, which was tense following a week-long agitation by students.

The students, who had been demanding regularisation of guest faculty and availability of other basic facilities at the institute, called off their strike on Saturday.

Classes resumed today after the weekend. Principal Nabin Parida said there was no disturbance on the campus and the 19 guest lecturers, who had put in their papers last Thursday, also returned to their jobs.

“The students had a long discussion with the culture department officials on Saturday and presented a list of demands before them. A compromise was reached and they ended their agitation. Classes were held as per schedule and the students have agreed to appear for the mid-term examination and pre-test from November 11,” Parida said.

The students said they decided to call off the strike after culture department officials assured them of meeting their demands.

“Our demands were categorised under two heads — short term and long term. The former, which has a time frame of seven to 30 days, includes changing dress code, providing identity cards, setting up various student committees and engaging a security guard, sweeper and gardener at the college,” said an Odissi dance student.

“The officials said the process to fulfil other demands such as regularisation of the guest lecturers and promotion of the assistant lecturers to the post of lecturers, construction of a separate gate to the college and restricting the use of Utkal Mandap open-air auditorium to classical programmes among others, has started, but would take more time,” added the student.

Earlier, the students had met higher education minister Badri Narayan Patra and tourism and culture minister Prafulla Samal to air their grievances.

The college has more than 350 students studying music, dance and drama at the Plus Two and Plus Three levels. There are five regular lecturers and two others had been suspended by the government in 2008 because of allegations brought forth by students.