In a queue of boys, Shankar is 9th from the rear end, and Althaf is 8th from the front. Nitu is standing somewhere between these two boys. What is the minimum possible number of boys standing in the queue?

Introduction / Context:
This is a position-in-queue or ranking-type reasoning question. It tests your ability to interpret information given from both ends of a line and to reason about the minimum possible total number of people when another person is said to be standing between two given persons.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- Shankar is 9th from the rear end of the queue.
- Althaf is 8th from the front of the queue.
- Nitu is standing between Shankar and Althaf.
- We must find the minimum possible total number of boys in the queue consistent with this information.

Concept / Approach:
Let the total number of boys be N. If a person is k-th from the rear, his position from the front is N - k + 1. Knowing Shankar's and Althaf's positions from one end, we can express their positions from the front, calculate the distance between them, and ensure that there is at least one position strictly between them where Nitu can stand. We choose N to make this distance just large enough to allow at least one person in between, giving the minimum N.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Let N be the total number of boys in the queue.Step 2: Shankar is 9th from the rear. His position from the front is: N - 9 + 1 = N - 8.Step 3: Althaf is 8th from the front, so his position from the front is 8.Step 4: For Nitu to be between them, the positions of Shankar and Althaf from the front must differ by at least 2 (so there is at least one position in between).Step 5: Assume Shankar is behind Althaf (farther from the front), so N - 8 > 8.Step 6: Then the number of positions strictly between them is (N - 8) - 8 - 1 = N - 17.Step 7: For at least one person between them, we need N - 17 ≥ 1 → N ≥ 18.Step 8: The minimum such N is 18, which allows exactly one position between Althaf and Shankar where Nitu can stand.

Verification / Alternative check:
Check with N = 18. Then Shankar's position from the front is 18 - 8 = 10. Althaf is 8th from the front. The positions are: Althaf at 8, Nitu at 9, Shankar at 10. Nitu is indeed between them and the total number of boys is 18, confirming that this is feasible and minimal.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
For N = 14, 20, 22 or 24, you can place Nitu between them, but these are not minimal because N = 18 already satisfies the condition. For N < 18, there is either no valid position between them or the positions of Shankar and Althaf overlap or invert, which contradicts the given data.

Common Pitfalls:
Many students forget to convert the position from the rear to the position from the front correctly or miscount the number of positions between two given positions. Others ignore the “between” condition and just add positions from front and rear. Always write the positions explicitly and use inclusive/exclusive counting carefully.

Final Answer:
The minimum possible number of boys in the queue is 18.