Divya Mittal IAS resignation reason: Why 2013-batch officer quit after 13 years in civil service in UP

IAS officer Divya Mittal has resigned from the Indian Administrative Service after nearly 13 years, bringing an end to a career that saw her serve in several parts of Uttar Pradesh. The 2013-batch officer announced her decision in a social media post, describing her journey as “unforgettable” and reflecting on what public service had taught her.

Her resignation comes months after she was transferred from Deoria to Lucknow, where she was posted as Special Secretary in the Revenue Department in May.

Divya Mittal IAS resign reason: What she said

Mittal did not point to a specific incident, government decision or dispute as the reason for leaving the IAS. Instead, her resignation note was largely a reflection on her journey, her personal ambitions and her changing understanding of public service.


She wrote that she had grown up with the familiar ambition of building a successful life. After studying at IIT Delhi and IIM Bangalore, she moved to London for work and reached a stage where, by her own account, she had achieved many of the things she had once wanted.

But something still felt missing. Mittal said living away from India troubled her because she felt a responsibility towards the country that had given her education, confidence and opportunities. She eventually returned to India and joined the IAS, seeing the service as a way of contributing to the country.

Her note suggests that the decision to resign was not simply about leaving a government job. It was tied to a broader realisation about how she wanted to spend the next phase of her life.

What did Divya Mittal learn from her postings?

Mittal specifically recalled her experiences in Deoria and Mirzapur. Her time in Deoria, she said, taught her that standing up for what is right is a responsibility rather than a choice. Mirzapur, meanwhile, changed her understanding of what can be achieved, convincing her that something being described as impossible does not necessarily make it so.

She also credited the people she worked with and the blessings associated with Maa Vindhyavasini for teaching her that authority does not ultimately come from holding a government position.

For Mittal, some of the most meaningful moments of her career came away from official titles and administrative files.

She remembered families receiving land rights, persons with disabilities getting opportunities to live with dignity and farmers finally receiving water for their fields. These experiences, she wrote, showed her the real meaning of public service.

'Behind every government file is a person'

One of the central ideas in Mittal's resignation message was that government work cannot be separated from the lives of ordinary people. She wrote that every government file represents a person and that protecting that person's dignity is at the heart of justice.

Mittal also said she had initially believed that she had entered public service to give something to people. Over time, she realised that she had received much more from them.

The affection, trust and happiness of people, she said, often gave her the strength to keep going during difficult periods.

125 households finally got piped water

Mittal recalled one particular incident from Lahuriya Deh village in Mirzapur. After a wait of around 75 years, piped tap water reached 125 households in the village. She remembered an elderly woman touching her head with trembling hands after seeing water reach the village.

For Mittal, the moment represented why administrative work mattered beyond files, meetings and government orders. She also worked on initiatives aimed at expanding opportunities for people in rural areas. Among them was a free mobile application designed to help first-generation learners in Uttar Pradesh.

The idea was influenced by her own experience of learning French through conversation-based classes at Alliance Française.

From IIT Delhi and IIM Bangalore to IAS

Mittal's career path was different from the conventional route into civil services. She studied at IIT Delhi before completing her management education at IIM Bangalore. She subsequently worked in London but returned to India before joining the IAS.

She belongs to the 2013 IAS batch and has served in Uttar Pradesh during her career. Mittal is from Delhi. Her husband, Gagandeep Singh, is a former bureaucrat and is also an alumnus of IIT Delhi and IIM Bangalore.

With her resignation, Mittal's 13-year stint in the IAS has now come to an end. Her message, however, made clear that she does not see the end of her official position as the end of the larger dream that brought her back to India. Instead, she said the dream remains alive.