Step 1: Understanding elastic constants.
- For an isotropic material, there are 2 independent elastic constants.
- For an orthotropic material, there are 9 independent elastic constants.
- For a non-homogeneous, non-isotropic material, there are 21 independent constants.
Step 2: Selecting the correct option.
Since a non-homogeneous, non-isotropic material requires 21 elastic constants, the correct answer is (D).