From IIT, IIM and London to IAS: Deoria DM Divya Mittal resigns after 13 years

IAS officer Divya Mittal has resigned from the civil service after a 13-year career in which she served as district magistrate in Deoria, Mirzapur, and Sant Kabir Nagar.

Mittal, who studied at IIT Delhi and IIM Bangalore, had earlier worked in London. She said she returned to India because she felt something was missing despite having achieved what she had wanted.

"Today, I have voluntarily stepped away from an unforgettable 13-year journey by resigning from the IAS," Mittal said in a statement.

From London To IAS

Mittal grew up in what she described as humble surroundings. She studied at IIT Delhi and later at IIM Bangalore before taking up a job in London. She worked as an associate at JPMorgan from April 2007 to July 2008.

But life abroad left her feeling incomplete. "Even after attaining 'everything,' something still felt incomplete. Being away from my country weighed on me," she said.

Mittal said she felt her education and opportunities came with a responsibility toward India. "My education, my confidence, the strength to walk tall anywhere in the world - all of it was a debt owed to this soil. That debt had to be repaid," she said.

She returned to India and joined the IAS.

Lessons From The Field

Mittal served as DM of Deoria, Mirzapur, and Sant Kabir Nagar.

She said her postings shaped her understanding of public service.

"Deoria taught me that standing with what is right is not an option, but a duty. Mirzapur taught me that 'impossible' is not a fact, but just an opinion," she said.

Her time in Mirzapur also gave her a deeper connection with the people she served. "And sitting at the feet of Mother Vindhyavasini, I learned that true power comes not from any position, but from her grace and the trust of the people," she said.

Mittal said her biggest lesson was that her own dreams had already come true. She then began to see the dreams of the people she served as her own.

She recalled families receiving land rights, differently-abled people gaining a chance to live with dignity, and farmers finally getting water for their fields.

"Walking alongside their struggles, I learned that behind every government file is a person, and upholding their dignity is what justice truly means," she said.

'I Received The Most'

Mittal said she had initially believed she was entering public service to give something back.

"I was a fool to think I had come to give something. The truth is, I received the most, and that debt only grew deeper," she said. "I received so much love, so much respect, so much belonging, that my lap overflowed," she said.

Mittal also recalled an elderly woman from Lahuriya Dih who blessed her after water reached her village for the first time. The woman said nothing, Mittal recalled, but touched her head with trembling hands and blessed her. "The position may be left behind today, but that touch will never leave me in this lifetime," Mittal said.

She added that the dream she had for India would remain with her even after leaving the IAS.