RN Vakil offers to step down from Cept top post

If there was one noticeable emotion amongst the cheer and enthusiasm at the Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT)'s 6th convocation on Saturday, it was of surprise. Many eyebrows were raised as the chairman of the institute Sanjay Lalbhai announced that the current president and the director, CEPT University, RN Vakil had proposed to step down from the two posts he holds in the board of governors meeting on Friday evening.

Vakil's proposal to step down from the two prime posts comes after nurturing the excellence of the institute for the more than 28 years that he took charge of the institute as dean in 1986. It was in 2005, after the CEPT was given status of a University, that Vakil was appointed its president and director.

When DNA asked Vakil why he chose to step down from the posts, he promptly said with a laugh, "Why not? You can say that it is time for a break and there is no other serious reason. I am happy and healthy," he said. However, senior faculties at the CEPT say that he had informed trusted bunch of faculties in the institute about his decision to step down from the posts.

Vakil was one of the founder members of the CEPT 50 years back. With BV Doshi and Kastur Lalbhai, he wanted to start an institute to create skills in architecture. Remembering Vakil's contribution to CEPT, a senior faculty said that when he joined the institute, it had only 2 Post Graduate Courses and now as he steps down, there are around 23 post graduate courses. It was because of his efforts, guidance and encouragement that CEPT is now a University.

"When he joined, CEPT had only architecture and planning courses and now we have a variety of them. What is special is his way of functioning.  He would encourage and motivate faculty and students to take up challenges, responsibility, create leadership in people," said a faculty.

The chairman said that the board has accepted Vakil's proposal and formed a committee to hunt for his successor for the two posts. Though a majority of the people were tightlipped about the committee members, DNA has learnt that Sanjay Lalbhai would head the panel as chairman of the institute, and chairman and managing director of Symphony Limited, Achal Bakeri, and Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) Prof Prem Pangotra who also worked as dean of a faculty at CEPT in the past, are said to be the other two members.