Christopher Benninger Award for Academic Excellence
The CEPT University Convocation 2025 marked the inaugural presentation of the Christopher Benninger Award for Academic Excellence in Planning, awarded to Dalal Niket Dharmeshkumar.
This award was established by Mr Ramprasad Akkisetti to honour the legacy of the late Prof. Benninger, recognizing his profound impact on urban planning and architecture. Prof. Christopher Charles Benninger, who died in 2024, was a forward-thinking leader whose influence remains significant within the field. The initiative seeks to motivate future students to embrace principles of innovation, sustainability, and social responsibility.
Ramprasad Akkisetti During the 2025 CEPT University Convocation
In an address, Ramprasad Akkisetti of CCBA Designs says, “I’ve seen this auditorium from ground zero when it was being built. Christopher’s last building, it was one of his last and I’m very happy that we are celebrating this very first Christopher Benninger CEPT University gold medal in his building.”
He talks about Prof. Christopher Charles Benninger’s motive to come to India. He notes, “Faculty of Planning, CEPT University was the reason that Christopher came to India. In 1971, he proposed the faculty/department. For Christopher, CEPT, more so the planning department was just not an institution but it was an emotion and that’s the same emotion that kept him intact to be anchored to India and he never left back to America.”
Ramprasad Akkisetti shares Christopher’s life purpose. He was extremely excited to present the gold medal in the name of Christopher Benninger to Niket Dalal, in whom he saw a young Benninger.
Getting emotional, he speaks, “Inspiration can be from anywhere, it can be from a book, it can be from a prize, it can be from some gurus or meeting of wise people. We need that kind of inspiration this gold medal was instituted to create that inspiration and to borrow a certain kind of ideology on whose name this award has been instituted.”
Niket Dalal on Receiving the Gold Medal
How does it feel for Niket Dala to receive the debut Christopher Benninger Award for Academic Excellence in Planning? The Masters in Urban Infrastructure student exclaims, “It’s a matter of immense pride and responsibility all together getting the very first Christopher Benninger Gold Medal. I look forward to walking in his footsteps and it is very motivating to get this award.”
Image Courtesy – Christopher Charles Benninger via Facebook
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