Question:medium

Given below is a statement followed by two arguments. Read carefully and decide which of the arguments strongly support the statement.

Statement: Should military training be made compulsory for all college and university students?

Arguments:
(i) Yes, this will develop in them a sense of punctuality and discipline.
(ii) No, military training should be given only to those students who are physically fit.

Show Hint

Argument (ii) suggests a different rule but never says what harm the compulsory scheme would cause. Check whether that counts as reasoning or only as a preference.
Updated On: Oct 30, 2026
  • Argument (i) is strong.
  • Argument (ii) is strong.
  • Both (i) and (ii) are strong.
  • Neither (i) nor (ii) is strong.
Show Solution

The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

The question puts up a proposal, compulsory military training for all college and university students, and asks which of two arguments really supports a position. Keep the word compulsory in mind throughout, because the arguments have to speak to a scheme covering every student. A strong argument gives a reason, not just a preference.

  1. Argument (i), Yes, this will develop in them a sense of punctuality and discipline: Military training is built around fixed hours, drill, uniform standards and following orders without delay, day after day. Habits formed that way carry over into classrooms, deadlines and jobs. This is a recognised benefit of such training and it applies across the whole student body, which is what the proposal is about, so the argument is strong.
  2. Argument (ii), No, military training should be given only to those students who are physically fit: This one states a different rule instead of arguing against the proposal. It never says what goes wrong if all students are covered, never shows harm to unfit students, and never shows the scheme would collapse. It also overlooks that physical demands in a training programme can be pitched to different fitness levels. An argument that only asserts a restriction is weak.

Only the first argument offers real reasoning, so option (A) is correct.

Let us summarize:

  • Discipline and punctuality are direct and accepted products of drill based training, so argument (i) supports the proposal.
  • Argument (ii) proposes a narrower rule without giving any reason, so it is an assertion rather than an argument.
  • Options (B) and (C) accept the bare assertion, and (D) discards a valid benefit.

The correct answer is Argument (i) is strong.

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