Quick Answer: Divya Mittal, a 2013-batch IAS officer, has resigned after 13 years in the civil services. Before joining the IAS, she studied at IIT Delhi, completed an MBA at IIM Bangalore, and worked in London. She left that path because something still felt incomplete despite having achieved everything she had once wanted. During her tenure, she brought piped water to a Mirzapur village that had waited 75 years for it.
The Resignation
IAS officer Divya Mittal has stepped down from the Indian Administrative Service after a 13-year career. She announced the move through a note on social media, calling it a voluntary decision to step away from what she described as an unforgettable journey. At the time, she was serving as Special Secretary in the Revenue Department in Lucknow, having earlier served as District Magistrate in Deoria, Mirzapur, and Sant Kabir Nagar.
From IIT Delhi to a London Career
Mittal’s path to the IAS wasn’t the conventional one. She grew up in Rewari, Haryana, and studied engineering at IIT Delhi before completing an MBA at IIM Bangalore. From there, she took up a job in London, working as an associate at JPMorgan.
By most measures, she had checked every box: a top engineering degree, a top business school, and a career in one of the world’s biggest financial hubs.
Why She Came Back to India
That success didn’t tell the full story. Mittal has said that even after attaining what looked like everything, something still felt incomplete, and that being away from India weighed on her. This is what led her to return, prepare for the UPSC Civil Services Examination, and qualify for the Indian Police Service on her first attempt in 2012. She appeared again the following year, cleared the exam with an all-India rank of 68, and joined the IAS.
The Village That Waited 75 Years for Water
One defining moment of her career came during her posting as District Magistrate of Mirzapur. Lahuria Dah, a remote village in the district, had gone without piped water for around 75 years, relying instead on tankers, a distant reservoir, and a damaged well. Mittal coordinated with Jal Nigam engineers to redesign the village’s water-lifting system, a project considered difficult because of geographical and financial constraints. The effort eventually brought running tap water to 125 families under the Jal Jeevan Mission.
She has said her years in service taught her that behind every government file is a person whose dignity has to remain central to governance.
Thirteen Years, Then a Fresh Chapter
Beyond Mirzapur, Mittal also served as District Magistrate of Deoria and Sant Kabir Nagar before moving into her role as Special Secretary. Across her postings, she has said the experience of seeing real change reach people who had waited decades for it became one of the most meaningful parts of the job, more so than holding any particular position.
Choosing Purpose Over Prestige
Mittal’s path, from a globally prestigious career to hands-on public service and now to whatever comes next, is a story that speaks to more than her specific job title. Success and fulfillment don’t always arrive in the same package, and stepping away from a path others might envy isn’t a step backward.
What We Don’t Know Yet
As of this writing, Mittal has not publicly detailed the specific reasons behind her resignation, and it had not yet been formally accepted by the Uttar Pradesh government. She has said only that she will speak when the time comes. We’ll update this piece if she shares more.