Who is the author of the non-fiction book "The Argumentative Indian"?

Introduction / Context:
"The Argumentative Indian" is a popular collection of essays on Indian history, politics, and culture. Questions about this book often appear in the books and authors section of general knowledge exams. The goal here is to check if the learner can correctly identify Amartya Sen as the author, separating him from other famous Indian and international writers who might look tempting in the options list.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The book title is "The Argumentative Indian".
• The options include several well known writers, mainly associated with India and Indian themes.
• We assume the question refers to the author of the original English essays, not editors or translators.
• Exactly one option is intended to be fully correct.

Concept / Approach:
This question relies on factual recall about books and authors. The correct strategy is to match the title with the right writer based on standard exam lists and basic reading about modern Indian intellectuals. "The Argumentative Indian" is widely linked with Amartya Sen, a Nobel Prize winning economist and public intellectual. Although other options like V. S. Naipaul or Shashi Tharoor have also written about India, they are associated with different titles, so we must carefully avoid mixing them up.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recognize that "The Argumentative Indian" is a non-fiction work that explores India's traditions of debate, pluralism, and public reasoning. Step 2: Recall that its author is an internationally known economist and thinker who won the Nobel Prize in Economics. Step 3: Check which option matches this profile. Amartya Sen is a Nobel Prize winning economist from India. Step 4: V. S. Naipaul, although of Indian origin, was a novelist and essayist mainly associated with books like "A House for Mr Biswas". Step 5: Vikram Seth is a novelist and poet known for works like "A Suitable Boy". Step 6: Shashi Tharoor is a politician and writer known for "An Era of Darkness" and other works, but not this book. Step 7: Ramachandra Guha is a historian and biographer associated with books on Gandhi and Indian history. Step 8: Since "The Argumentative Indian" clearly belongs to Amartya Sen, we select Amartya Sen as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative Check:
An alternative confirmation method is to recall book covers or catalogues from libraries and online stores. The name Amartya Sen usually appears prominently with this title. Many exam preparation books also include a direct table entry "The Argumentative Indian – Amartya Sen". Since no standard list links this title with any of the other options, cross checking with such resources confirms that Amartya Sen is the only correct choice among the given names.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
V. S. Naipaul wrote works like "India: A Wounded Civilization", but he did not write "The Argumentative Indian". Vikram Seth is known for long novels and poetry, not for this particular essay collection. Shashi Tharoor has written many books on Indian history and politics, yet the specific title here belongs to a different author. Ramachandra Guha specializes in history and biographies and is associated with other notable titles, not this one.

Common Pitfalls:
Learners sometimes associate the word "argumentative" with political debate and therefore guess Shashi Tharoor, who is very visible in public discussions. Another common mistake is to focus only on the country association and pick any Indian appearing name or any person linked with India, without recalling the exact match with the title. The best way to avoid such confusion is to build a memorized list of key modern Indian non-fiction titles and their authors, including "The Argumentative Indian – Amartya Sen".

Final Answer:
The book "The Argumentative Indian" was written by Amartya Sen.