‘Not a single day learning how to be happy’: IAS officer with IIT-IIM degrees points out what’s missing in school education

According to IAS officer Divya Mittal, India has one of the best education systems in the world, from IITs to IIMs, but there is a crucial deficiency.

Divya wrote in a post on

Mittal then listed the life lessons he believes are missing from school education. He talked about emotional regulation and said students are taught science and math but not how to handle heartbreak, stress or emotional pain. In her opinion, schools often confuse silence with peace, leaving many adults unable to manage their emotions in a healthy way.

He also highlighted the lack of lessons on deep communication and boundaries. While students learn to write essays and speak formally, they are rarely taught how to express vulnerability, stand up to workplace bullying, or say “No” without guilt.

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Open critical thinkingMittal argued that schools reward those who give “correct answers”, whereas real life requires curiosity and questioning. He warned that blindly accepting ideas without examining their origins creates adults who follow ideas without independent thought.
The IAS official also emphasized the importance of financial literacy and said students spend years solving mathematical equations but are never taught how debt, impulsive spending or money-related stress can shape their lives and relationships.
Mittal also pointed out missing lessons in self-discipline, coping with loneliness, reading people, maintaining mental health and self-awareness. He noted that adulthood often feels like isolation because people are never taught how to enjoy solitude or become their own emotional support system.
Her post quickly went viral, with many users agreeing that schools focus heavily on academic performance, neglecting emotional intelligence, mental health and practical life skills that are important in adulthood.

“This entire topic is a mirror of the Indian education system. The part on Deep Communication hits the hardest. We are literally trained to write 2000 word essays to impress examiners, but when we have to set a basic boundary with a boss or say a simple no, we freeze. It takes decades to unlearn this suppression. Very well written, ma’am,” wrote one user.

Another added, “We learn aspects not covered in our academic journey through our individual life experiences and they remain with us until our existence on this planet.”