IAS Officer Divya Mittal's Resignation Sparks Ethical Reflection on Public Service

4:14 AM ETDeveloping

Health Desk

In Short: As IAS officer Divya Mittal resigns after 13 years, her actions prompt questions about what truly defines commitment to public service.

When IAS officer Divya Mittal announced her resignation after 13 years in the civil services, her words offered a deeper way to think about public service, according to reports from The Indian Express.

During the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission, Mittal discovered that water had not reached Lahuria Dah, a hilly village in Mirzapur, for decades, highlighting the potential for administrative decisions to have significant human consequences.

The story of Divya Mittal offers an opportunity to reflect on the difference between merely occupying a public position and giving it meaning, raising fundamental ethical questions about what truly makes an officer committed to public service.

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Conversely, an officer who internalises values such as empathy, justice, compassion and public service begins to see administrative decisions through their human consequences.
( UPSC Ethics Simplified is a special series under UPSC Essentials by The Indian Express that explores ethical concepts relevant to the Civil Services Examination.
Ethics is not limited to conduct rules, procedures or compliance.
We do not know why Mittal chose to resign, and there is no need to speculate.
But her decision naturally invites reflection on the nature of public service itself.

Sources

The Indian Expresslink