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IAS officer reflects on IIT Delhi to IIM Bangalore to civil services journey, says education missed key life lessons
IAS officer Divya Mittal reflected on how top education prepared students for exams, not loneliness or mental health.
IAS officer Divya Mittal has sparked a conversation online after sharing a deeply personal note on what she believes is missing from school education. In a post on her official X account, Mittal reflected on her journey from IIT Delhi to IIM Bangalore and then to the Indian Administrative Service, saying that even the country’s best education did not prepare her for some of life’s most important challenges.
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“IIT Delhi to IIM Bangalore to IAS. I got the best education my country had to offer. It taught me how to crack tough exams and manage big responsibilities, but it never taught me how to quiet my own mind or handle loneliness,” Mittal wrote.
She added, “We spend many years learning how to achieve, but not a single day learning how to be happy.”
‘No one explained the chemistry of a broken heart’
In her post, Mittal listed several life skills that she feels should be part of school education, including emotional regulation, deep communication, critical thinking, financial literacy, self discipline, handling loneliness, reading people, mental health maintenance and knowing oneself.
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Speaking about emotional regulation, she wrote, “We memorised the periodic table, but no one explained the chemistry of a broken heart.” She said schools often demanded silence and confused it with peace, leaving many adults unable to process difficult emotions.
On communication, Mittal said students were taught to write perfect essays but not how to say, “I’m hurting” or “No.” She also stressed that adults are often unprepared to deal with workplace bullying or set healthy boundaries.
‘Money is not just about maths’
Mittal also underlined the importance of financial literacy, saying, “We spent years learning maths and solving for x, but never learned how to keep ourselves from falling into a debt trap.” According to her, education focuses on earning money someday, but not on managing it wisely once it arrives.
She further wrote about loneliness, saying, “Peace is learning that being alone does not mean being lonely.” In another powerful line, she said, “We have gym class for our bodies, but nothing for our souls.”
Mittal concluded her post by saying, “The ultimate education is discovering what truly matters to you before the world tells you what to want.”
Take a look here at the post:
Internet reacts to IAS officer’s post
Mittal’s post has garnered more than 203k views and prompted many users to agree with her thoughts. One user wrote, “Very well articulated. I would just like to add that the aspects not covered in our academic journey are often learned through individual life experiences, and those lessons stay with us throughout our lives. Kudos to your academic brilliance, and my best wishes to you.” Another said, “Marks and ranks are celebrated, but emotional strength is ignored.” A third commented, “Financial literacy should be made compulsory in every school.”
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Another user reacted, “This post explains why so many successful people still feel empty.” Someone else wrote, “Learning to say no is one of the most underrated life skills.” Another added, “Schools prepare us for exams, but life asks completely different questions.” A user also said, “Mental health education should begin much earlier, not after people burn out.”
