I'm very happy to have this information, Mark. Thank you! You and others might find the full quote from B.V. Raman's A Manual of Hindu Astrology (Raman Publications 1935-1972) helpful, so I will give it here. I had left out a few words so as not to distract from the central issue. But after reading your post, it appears probable that Raman might have seen Bailey's articles since he studied western asrology, and there was the British-Indian political link. This doesn't necessarily indicate the origin of the system, but does privide support for a European-Indian exchange of astrological ideas. I have bolded the phrase I left out in my original post.
"...In India, there are two schools of thought bearing on the question of Bhava Sphutas (house-division). According to one view, shared by a vast majority of people not only in India but also in Europe and America, the length of each Bhava will be 30 degrees--the influence extending 15 degrees on either side of the ascending degree (equal house system).
"According to the other view, this system is unscientific because it ignores the relationship between the ecliptic and equator which should be considered for determining the dimensions of the Bhavas. Classical writers like Sripathi favor the determination of Bhavas on the lines given in the following paragraphs. In our humble experience extending for nearly 35 years the equal-house system appears to be yielding more satisfactory results." (page 96, revised 9th edition 1972)