Who is Divya Mittal, IIT-IIM graduate turned IAS officer who resigned?

IAS officer Divya Mittal. Image: X/@divyamittal_IAS

Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Divya Mittal’s viral resignation post in 2013 sparked an uproar, with the Congress terming it “very serious”, adding that respect for honest officers, their independent and impartial functioning and an environment free from administrative and political pressure is much needed in the state.

Ms Mittal, who announced her resignation from the service in a social media post that described her 13-year journey as “unforgettable”, grew up in what she described as humble circumstances in New Delhi.

She studied at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, completed her management education at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore and eventually moved to London for a finance job. However, a little later she started preparing for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) civil services exam and passed in 2013.

Her first posting in Uttar Pradesh came in December 2015 as Joint Magistrate in Meerut, followed by posting as Chief Development Officer in Gonda. She then served as District Magistrate of Sant Kabir Nagar, Mirzapur and Deoria.

During her stint as district magistrate in Mirzapur, she worked to bring water through pipelines to Lahuria Dah, a remote village tucked into the semi-arid hills of the district, where residents had long depended on water tankers. The village, home to roughly 2,000 people, mostly families who have relied on tankers, a cracked well and a remote reservoir for generations, finally got piped water in August 2023 – reaching 125 households after decades of waiting.

Ms Mittal said in her resignation post that the image that stayed with her was that of an elderly woman touching her head in gratitude after seeing the water coming.

“Today I voluntarily resigned from IAS, ending an unforgettable journey of 13 years. I grew up in a humble environment and dreamed of a good and successful life. After studying at IIT Delhi and IIM Bangalore, I worked day and night and got a job in London. But even though I had everything, something felt incomplete. I didn’t feel at ease in my country.

“My education, my confidence, my ability to walk anywhere in the world with my head held high – all this was a debt I owed to this country. I had to repay that debt. I wanted my handprints on the bricks that would build the India I dreamed of. So I came back and was lucky enough to become an IAS officer.”

“I had the opportunity to do many things and I learned a lot. Deoria taught me that standing up for what is right is not an option but a duty. Mirzapur taught me that ‘impossible’ is not a fact but simply an opinion. And sitting at the feet of Mother Vindhyavasini, I learned that power does not come from position, but from her grace and the trust of the people.”

“The biggest lesson was that the dreams I had for myself came true; now I had to live the dreams I had for my people. The real peace of this life was seen in the eyes of a family who got the right to land for the first time, a disabled person who got a chance to live with dignity, and a farmer whose field got water. We walk with them in their struggles,” I found that behind each of their government files there is a person behind their government by file.

Published – 01 Sep 2026 12:40 IST