the eccentricity ‘e’ should be less than or equal to

Question

A short column of symmetric cross – section made of a brittle material is subjected to an eccentric vertical load P at an eccentricity ‘e’. To avoid tensile stress in the short column, the eccentricity ‘e’ should be less than or equal to 

(a) h/12                           (b) h/6

(c) h/3                             (d) h/2