Devanur Mahadeva
</ref> Devanuru Mahadeva () is an Indian writer, novelist and public intellectual who writes in Kannada language. Devanuru Mahadeva was born in 1948 in Devanuru village in Nanjanagudu Taluk, Mysore district of the Karnataka state, India, He worked at CIIL in Mysore, The Government of India conferred upon him the Padma Shri award, the fourth highest civilian award. Known among literary circles to be a rebel, Mahadeva rejected the Nrupatunga Award (carrying a purse of Rs 5,01,000) in 2010. Devanura's rejection of the award was based on his dissatisfaction that despite being the official language of  the state, Kannada is yet to be made the primary language of instruction in schools and colleges. He wants Kannada to be made the medium of learning at least up to the college level. Mahadeva is a Central Sahitya Academy awardee for his novel "Kusuma Baale". In the 1990s he rejected the government's offer to nominate him to Rajya Sabha (the upper house of the Parliament of India) under the writer's quota. Awards and recognitions. Devanur's awards and accolades include: