Students walked out of a 25 February meeting at Yerevan State University with Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisian to protest his refusal to amend proposed legislation that would abolish the possibility for graduate students to postpone their compulsory military service until after they have completed their course of study, RFE/RL\'s Yerevan bureau reported. Students launched a boycott of classes last week to protest the proposed changes. Sarkisian, however, dismissed arguments against abolishing the existing exemptions and deferments as \"just a pretext to dodge the draft.\" While the rationale officially cited for abolishing deferments is to target corruption within the higher-education system, observers point out that demographic constraints -- the need to maintain the numerical strength of the armed forces despite the dwindling pool of eligible draftees -- are also a factor behind the proposed legislation. (RFE/RL)