PATNA: IAS officer Divya Shakti, a 2022-batch Bihar cadre officer, has taken charge of one of the state’s most high-profile administrative responsibilities after being appointed Commissioner of the Prohibition, Excise and Registration Department.
Her latest assignment places her at the centre of Bihar’s prohibition policy and the enforcement of the state’s liquor ban.
But what makes Divya Shakti’s career particularly notable is the journey that brought her to the IAS. An engineering graduate from BITS Pilani, she worked in the corporate sector before turning to civil services preparation. She subsequently cleared the UPSC Civil Services Examination twice — first securing a position in the Indian Police Service (IPS) and later reappearing for the examination to achieve her goal of joining the IAS.
Her journey from engineering to corporate employment, then IPS and ultimately IAS, has made her story particularly noteworthy among civil services aspirants.
Who Is IAS Divya Shakti?
Ms Shakti was born on September 20, 1992, and hails from Kothyan village in Jalalpur, Saran district of Bihar, formerly known as Chhapra.
She comes from a family with an academic and professional background. Her father, Dr Dhirendra Kumar Singh, served as a medical superintendent at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in Bettiah and is now retired. Her mother is a homemaker.
Divya Shakti has one brother and one sister.
From her school years, she was known for her academic performance. She completed her schooling in Muzaffarpurand later went to Bokaro for her intermediate studies.
Her academic journey eventually took her to BITS Pilani, where she pursued higher education in two different disciplines.
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From BITS Pilani to Corporate Sector
Divya Shakti completed a B.E. in Computer Science from BITS Pilani and also earned a Master’s degree in Economics from the institute.
After completing her education, she entered the corporate sector and worked for an American investment bank/company for around two years.
However, she eventually decided to leave the corporate world and devote herself to preparation for the UPSC Civil Services Examination.
Her decision marked the beginning of a journey that would see her clear one of India’s most competitive examinations twice.
She Cracked UPSC Twice
Divya Shakti’s UPSC journey is one of the defining features of her career.
In her first successful attempt, she cleared the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2019 and secured All India Rank 79. Based on that rank, she was selected for the Indian Police Service.
Although she had entered the IPS, her ultimate ambition was to become an IAS officer.
Instead of settling for the IPS allocation, she decided to appear for the civil services examination again.
She continued preparing for the examination while undergoing the demanding training and responsibilities associated with her first selection.
Her second attempt proved successful. She secured All India Rank 58 in the subsequent examination cycle and achieved her goal of joining the Indian Administrative Service.
She was subsequently allocated her home cadre of Bihar.
From IPS Selection to IAS
The fact that Divya Shakti cleared the civil services examination twice and moved from an IPS allocation to the IAS makes her career path unusual.
Her first success gave her an opportunity to join the police service, but she continued working towards her preferred service.
Her second UPSC success eventually brought her into the IAS, allowing her to return to Bihar as an IAS officer of the state cadre.
The journey reflects the determination to pursue a specific career goal even after achieving success in an earlier attempt.
Early Assignments in Bihar
After joining the IAS, Divya Shakti took up several administrative responsibilities in Bihar.
She served as Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Danapur, Patna, where she gained experience in field-level administration.
She was subsequently posted as Deputy Development Commissioner (DDC)-cum-Chief Executive Officer of the Zila Parishad in Kaimur.
Her tenure in Kaimur gave her experience in district development administration and implementation of government programmes at the local level.
She was serving as the Deputy Development Commissioner in Kaimur before her latest appointment.
Divya Shakti Appointed Excise Commissioner
In August 2026, the Bihar government carried out a bureaucratic reshuffle involving six IAS officers, under which Divya Shakti was appointed Excise Commissioner in the Department of Prohibition, Excise and Registration.
The posting has placed her in charge of a department that has a particularly important role in the implementation of Bihar’s prohibition policy.
The state’s liquor ban remains one of the major policy initiatives associated with the previous Nitish Kumar government, and enforcement of the prohibition regime continues to be a major administrative challenge.
Responsibility of Enforcing Bihar’s Liquor Ban
Bihar has a total prohibition regime, making enforcement of the state’s liquor ban a major responsibility for the Excise Department.
The government has adopted several measures to prevent the manufacture, transportation, smuggling and consumption of alcohol.
These measures include deployment of ground-based enforcement squads, drones for aerial surveillance and specialised forces operating on rivers.
Despite these enforcement efforts, allegations and reports of liquor smuggling and illegal consumption continue to pose challenges for the state administration.
Illicit liquor is also seized periodically by enforcement agencies, keeping prohibition enforcement high on the government’s administrative agenda.
Liquor Ban Under Discussion
The prohibition policy remains an important subject of political and administrative discussion in Bihar.
While the government has been discussing whether the existing prohibition law should be reviewed, there has also been discussion about continuing the policy.
Against this backdrop, Divya Shakti’s appointment as Excise Commissioner assumes significance.
Her responsibility will involve overseeing the department tasked with enforcing the prohibition regime while dealing with the continuing challenges of illegal liquor supply, smuggling and violations of the law.
Why Her Journey Stands Out
Divya Shakti’s career combines several different stages before her entry into the IAS.
She began as a student of computer science and economics at BITS Pilani, worked in the corporate sector and subsequently chose civil services as her career.
Her first UPSC success resulted in an IPS allocation, but she continued her preparation with the objective of entering the IAS.
She then cleared the examination again with AIR 58, eventually joining the IAS and returning to serve in her home state of Bihar.
Her latest appointment as Excise Commissioner gives her a major policy and enforcement responsibility at a relatively early stage of her IAS career.
Divya Shakti Profile at a Glance
- DoB: Sep 20, 1992
- Home District: Saran (Chhapra), Bihar
- Native Village: Kothyan, Jalalpur
- Cadre: Bihar
- IAS Batch: 2022
- Education: B.E. Computer Science and Master’s in Economics, BITS Pilani
- Corporate Experience: Around two years
- UPSC CSE 2019: AIR 79; selected for IPS
- Subsequent UPSC Attempt: AIR 58; selected for IAS
- Earlier Posting: SDM, Danapur
- Earlier Posting: DDC-cum-CEO, Zila Parishad, Kaimur
- Current Posting: Excise Commissioner, Bihar
Divya Shakti’s journey from an engineering campus and the corporate sector to the IPS and ultimately the IAS, followed by her appointment to a crucial enforcement department, makes her one of the notable young administrative officers currently handling a major policy responsibility in Bihar.
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