Divya Mittal resigns from IAS after 13 years

Divya Mittal, a 2013-batch Indian Administrative Service officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, has voluntarily resigned. She announced her decision in a post on X, bringing to an end a 13-year career.

Mittal holds a Bachelor of Technology from IIT Delhi and an MBA from IIM Bangalore. After her MBA, she worked in London but felt compelled to return to India. She later wrote that not being in her country troubled her, and she wanted to repay the debt she felt she owed for her education and confidence.

To return, she began preparing for the UPSC Civil Services Examination.

Two attempts, two services

Her first attempt in 2012 qualified her for the Indian Police Service. Mittal attempted the exam again in 2013, secured an all-India rank of 68, and joined the IAS instead.

She served as district magistrate in three Uttar Pradesh districts: Sant Kabir Nagar, Mirzapur, and Deoria. A later posting was as special secretary in the state's Revenue Department.

Her tenure in Mirzapur included overseeing the provision of tap water to the remote hill village of Lahuriadah for the first time, 75 years after Independence. In Deoria, she was known for effectively implementing government schemes and for decisive action.

Mittal described her learnings from these postings. "Deoria taught me that standing with what is right is not an option, but a duty," she wrote. "Mirzapur taught me that impossible is not a fact, but just an opinion."

The human element of governance

Working with needy families, persons with disabilities, and farmers across her postings led Mittal to a key realisation. She noted that every government file has a human being attached to it.

This understanding, rather than the rank or posting, is what she highlighted as she departed.

An unexplained departure

Mittal has not publicly stated her reason for leaving. No scandal, controversy, or forced exit has been reported. The record shows a woman who left a comfortable life abroad, competed twice for the civil services, and secured her desired role.

Thirteen years later, she has walked away from that achievement without explanation.