IIT-IIM Alumnus IAS Officer Divya Mittal Quits, Cites 'Debt to the Land'

Divya Mittal, a 2013-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer known for her work in Uttar Pradesh, has announced her resignation from the service. Her decision, shared in a detailed social media post, has sparked a political reaction, with the Congress party describing it as a matter of deep concern and emphasising the need for an environment free from administrative and political pressure for officers.

Mittal's journey to the civil services is notable. Raised in modest circumstances in New Delhi, she earned degrees from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi and the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore. She subsequently moved to London for a finance job before deciding to return to India to prepare for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination, which she cleared in 2013.

Her career in Uttar Pradesh began in December 2015 as Joint Magistrate in Meerut. She later served as Chief Development Officer in Gonda and held the post of District Magistrate in Sant Kabir Nagar, Mirzapur, and Deoria. Her tenure in Mirzapur is particularly remembered for a project that brought piped water to Lahuria Dah, a remote village in the district's semi-arid hills. After decades of relying on tankers and a distant reservoir, over 125 households received piped water in August 2023. Mittal recounted the image of an elderly woman touching her head in gratitude as a lasting memory.

In her resignation post, Mittal reflected on her motivations, stating that her education and confidence were a debt she owed to her country. She wrote that her experiences taught her that standing up for what is right is a duty, and that 'impossible' is merely an opinion. She concluded that her personal dreams had been fulfilled and that she now needed to live the dreams she had for her people, having learned that maintaining the dignity of individuals behind government files is true justice.