Making it normal for ‘new’ enrollments: effect of institutional and pandemic influence on selecting engineering institutions under the COVID-19 pandemic situation

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced Indian engineering institutions (EIs) to bring their previous half-shut shades completely down. Attracting new admissions to EI campuses during the pandemic have become a ‘now or never’ situation for EIs. During crisis situations, EIs have struggled to return to their normal track. The pandemic has drastically changed students' behavior and family preferences due to mental stress and the emotional life associated with it. Consequently, it has become the need of hour to examine the choice characteristics influencing the selection of EIs during the COVID-19 pandemic.