IAS Officer Divya Mittal Quits After 13 Years, Cites Personal Mission Shift

Divya Mittal, a 2013-batch IAS officer, resigned on August 30 after 13 years in the Indian Administrative Service. The Uttar Pradesh-cadre officer, who holds degrees from IIT Delhi and IIM Bangalore, quit a finance job in London to join the civil service. In her resignation note, she called her journey unforgettable and said she had repaid her debt to India through grassroots work.

From London to the IAS

Mittal studied engineering at IIT Delhi and earned an MBA from IIM Bangalore before moving to London with her husband Gagandeep Singh, where both worked in finance. Despite professional success abroad, she felt incomplete living outside India. She returned, cleared the UPSC Civil Services examination, and joined the IAS in 2013. In her resignation post, she wrote that her education and confidence were debts owed to India that she needed to repay.

Key postings and ground-level impact

During her tenure, Mittal served as District Magistrate in Deoria, Mirzapur, and Sant Kabir Nagar, plus Special Secretary in the Revenue Department. As Mirzapur DM, she pushed the Jal Jeevan Mission scheme that delivered piped water to Lahuria Dah village on August 30, 2023, ending a 75-year wait for about 125 households. She was transferred on September 1, 2023, and later placed on the waitlist. In her resignation note, she reflected that Mirzapur taught her that impossible is only an opinion.

Why she left and political speculation

Mittal told ThePrint that nothing specific triggered her resignation. She said, “For the past few months, I have been thinking that I am done with this job. I have not planned anything for the future. I will speak about it when the time comes.” Sources close to her suggested she could potentially enter politics in either Mirzapur or Deoria. BJP spokesperson Prashant Umrao alleged her resignation followed a meeting with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, though Mittal did not cite political reasons in her statement.

Her message to India

In her social media post, Mittal wrote that the biggest lesson was shifting from personal dreams to dreams for her people. She described fulfillment in witnessing families receive land rights, disabled persons gain dignity, and farmers access water. She called the 13-year journey unforgettable and said she learned that behind every government file is a person whose dignity must be maintained as justice.

Final Thoughts

Mittal’s departure marks a rare case of a high-performing IAS officer voluntarily stepping down after 13 years. Her resignation raises questions about civil service retention and whether political ambitions lie ahead, though she has not confirmed future plans.

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