{
  "id": 4430038,
  "title": "'Every File Has A Person Behind It': IAS Officer Divya Mittal Resigns After 13 Years, Reflects On A Journey Shaped By People’s Trust",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/30/every-file-has-a-person-behind-it-ias-officer-divya-mittal-resigns",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-30T12:42:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/every-file-has-a-person-behind-it-ias-officer-divya-mittal-resigns-after-13-years-reflects-on-a-journey-shaped-by-peoples-trust"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Lucknow: IAS officer Divya Mittal has resigned from her position after a 13-year career in the civil services, citing her journey as one that left her with invaluable lessons from ordinary individuals. In a heartfelt message on social media, Mittal detailed her upbringing in a modest background and her aspirations to achieve a successful life through education, including her time at IIT Delhi and IIM Bangalore, as well as a stint working in London. Despite these accomplishments, she felt a sense of emptiness being away from her homeland.\n\nMittal's decision to return to India and join the civil services was driven by a desire to contribute positively and experience the impact her work could have on people's lives. She highlighted her postings in Deoria and Mirzapur, where she learned that advocating for justice was a duty rather than a mere choice and that the term \"impossible\" was simply an opinion. Her faith in Maa Vindhyavasini also played a significant role, teaching her that true strength stems from divine grace and the trust placed in her by the people.\n\nAmong the most memorable moments of her career for Mittal were the tangible improvements in people's lives, such as families receiving land rights, the dignity restored to a disabled individual, and the arrival of water to a farmer's field. She emphasized that behind every government file lies a person, and safeguarding their dignity is the core of justice. Reflecting on her career, Mittal noted that her initial goal was to contribute to society, but she soon realized she had gained much more in return.\n\nMittal expressed that she had initially entered public service with the intent to give back to society, but she discovered that she received immeasurable benefits instead. She noted that people's celebrations of her achievements often surpassed her own sense of accomplishment. The unwavering trust placed in her by the people, even during challenging times, provided her with the resilience to persevere. She also expressed gratitude to her colleagues, employees, and officers who stood by her during her administrative career.\n\nThe officer concluded her message by recalling an emotional incident involving an elderly woman from Lahuria Dah. Upon witnessing water reaching her village for the first time, the woman did not speak but instead touched Mittal's head with trembling hands and blessed her. This gesture remained one of the most impactful memories from her public service journey. Despite her administrative position now being behind her, Mittal affirmed that the dream she nurtured from the Indian soil and the trust bestowed upon her by its people would remain with her forever.",
  "summary": "Lucknow: IAS officer Divya Mittal has resigned from the civil services after nearly 13 years, saying she was stepping away from the post voluntarily after a journey that taught her more from ordinary people than she could have imagined. Mittal shared an emotional message on social media announcing her decision and reflecting on her journey from a modest background to the Indian Administrative…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}