India, May 18 -- LUCKNOW Even after 51 years of its establishment, the prestigious Guru Gobind Singh Sports College (GGSSC) in Lucknow doesn't have a permanent, sports-oriented leader. The leadership vacuum persists even as the Uttar Pradesh government has once again handed interim charge of the college to a Provincial Civil Service (PCS) officer without any sporting background.

The timing of this stopgap appointment could not be more awkward. The state government has announced plans to open three new sports colleges in July - a move that should have been accompanied by a comprehensive strengthening of governance and appointments. Instead, the appointment of yet another PCS officer as principal, replacing Atul Sinha, who held the charge ...