Students of the College of Art and Craft also staged a demonstration in front of the PU office in protest against the removal of Anunaya Choubey from the post of principal on some "flimsy grounds."

Meanwhile, PU has made all necessary arrangements for holding election of teachers' representatives to the PU senate to be held at the Wheeler Senate House on Friday, said Prasad. All the classes will remain suspended for the day for facilitating teachers' participation in the elections in which PU teachers will elect 15 represenatives.

Earlier in the day, all colleges of Patna University were agog with activities when they finally reopened on Thursday following a near two-month long extended summer vacation since mid-May thanks to the 51-day strike by non- teaching staff. If it was fun and frolic for many a second and third year student who returned to their respective campuses to "meet and greet" each other, besides "catch up on things" even as they attended the first day's classes after the long break, for many others -- who recently cleared their Class X and XII examinations -- it was time to enroll themselves in courses of their choice. They had been waiting for this day ever since their results were declared in the first week of June.

In fact, these aspiring intermediate and degree students brought in a whiff of fresh air to the campuses, not to mention colours of all hues, decked as they were in their festive best. While some of these would-be newcomers came in groups of all shapes and sizes, many others had their parents and guardians with them "only to help" go through the formalities of admission into various courses.

On their part, the colleges and university departments resumed their normal functioning in most colleges by resuming teaching and commencing the admission process. With the process of selling admission forms as well as receiving these at their respective counters in many colleges beginning on Thursday itself, many anxious parents and guardians could be seen making detailed enquiries on admission-related matters at the various counters.

Throwing all formalities to the wind, some colleges have even started admitting students directly, irrespective of the marks secured by them in the last qualifying examinations.

"Much precious time has already been lost owing to the employees' strike and, hence, we will try to complete the admission process within a fortnight and start the new classes as early as possible," said the principal of a Patna-based girls' college.

At a number of universities in the state where examinations had to be postponed due to the employees' strike, students are now awaiting eagerly for the announcement of fresh dates for their respective examinations.

As it turned out, some Patna University college students visited their colleges during the day to make enquiries with regard to dates for practical examinations which could not be held on time due to the strike.