In the study of Indian federalism, who described the Indian model as a system of co operative federalism?

Introduction / Context:
This question belongs to Indian polity and constitutional theory. It asks about the scholar who characterised Indian federalism as co operative federalism. Examinations often test not only the bare text of the Constitution but also important academic interpretations, because these phrases are widely quoted in textbooks, judgments and lectures about the nature of the Indian Union and the relation between the Union and the states.

Given Data / Assumptions:

The question provides names of four constitutional scholars and commentators.
The task is to identify who used the phrase co operative federalism in relation to India.
It is assumed that the learner knows basic features of Indian federalism, such as a strong centre and state governments.
No additional numerical or legal data is required to attempt this question.

Concept / Approach:
The correct approach is to recall the standard descriptions of the Indian Constitution provided by leading authors. Granville Austin, a noted constitutional historian, famously described the Indian system as an example of co operative federalism. This phrase highlights that while the Constitution establishes a federal structure, it expects the Union and states to work together rather than in constant competition. Other scholars like K. C. Wheare described the Constitution in different terms, such as quasi federal. Remembering which scholar used which phrase allows quick elimination of wrong options.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Read the stem carefully and identify that the key phrase is co operative federalism in relation to India. Step 2: Recall that Granville Austin studied the working of Indian institutions and wrote influential books on the Indian Constitution. Step 3: Remember that Austin emphasised how the Constitution was designed to encourage co operation between the Union and state governments, especially in planning and development. Step 4: Compare this with K. C. Wheare, who is usually associated with the description of India as quasi federal rather than fully federal. Step 5: Recognise that Sir Ivor Jennings and D. D. Basu are also important commentators but are not known for co operative federalism as a signature phrase. Step 6: Conclude that the most accurate match is Granville Austin, listed in the options as G. Austin.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, think of how polity manuals present this topic. Most standard books on Indian Constitution have a section that lists important observations by foreign and Indian scholars. Under the heading Nature of Indian federalism, they usually cite Wheare with quasi federal or unitary with subsidiary federal features and Austin with co operative federalism. If one reviews multiple sources and finds consistent attribution of co operative federalism to Granville Austin and not to the other three names, that is strong confirmation that the correct option is G. Austin.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
K. C. Wheare: He famously described the Indian Constitution as quasi federal, stressing the dominance of the centre, not primarily as co operative federalism.
Sir Ivor Jennings: He wrote on constitutional law and parliamentary government but is not associated with this specific expression regarding India.
D. D. Basu: A leading Indian jurist and author of a standard commentary on the Constitution, yet the phrase co operative federalism is not usually credited to him.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to confuse descriptions given by different scholars and treat them as interchangeable. Learners sometimes memorise the phrases quasi federal and co operative federalism without pairing them with the correct author. Another pitfall is guessing based only on familiarity with Indian writers and ignoring that Granville Austin, although not Indian, is extremely important for the study of Indian constitutional development. Building a small mental table with scholars on one side and their best known phrases on the other can greatly reduce confusion in such questions.

Final Answer:
The scholar who described Indian federalism as a system of co operative federalism is G. Austin (Granville Austin).