Government of India
Bare Act As Per The Government of India

Section 6 of Indian Contract Act

6. Revocation how made.— A proposal is revoked—

(1) by the communication of notice of revocation by the proposer to the other party;
(2) by the lapse of the time prescribed in such proposal for its acceptance, or, if no time is so prescribed, by the lapse of a reasonable time, without communication of the acceptance;
(3) by the failure of the acceptor to fulfil a condition precedent to acceptance; or
(4) by the death or insanity of the proposer, if the fact of his death or insanity comes to the knowledge of the acceptor before acceptance.

MCQs Based on Section 6 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872

1. Under Section 6 of the Indian Contract Act, a proposal can be revoked:

A. Only after acceptance
B. Only with court permission
C. Before acceptance by the communication of revocation
D. Only by the acceptor

Correct Answer: C
Explanation: A proposal can be revoked by the proposer before it is accepted, by communicating the revocation to the other party.

2. If no time is mentioned in a proposal, it is revoked:

A. After 30 days
B. After a reasonable time
C. After 7 days
D. After 24 hours

Correct Answer: B
Explanation: If no time is fixed for acceptance, the proposal will lapse after a reasonable time, which depends on the nature and circumstances of the case.

3. Which of the following is NOT a valid method of revocation under Section 6?

A. Communication of revocation by proposer
B. Rejection by the offeree
C. Lapse of time
D. Death of proposer, known to acceptor before acceptance

Correct Answer: B
Explanation: Rejection by the offeree is not a method of revocation by proposer under Section 6. It is covered under a different concept, i.e., rejection or counter-offer.

4. If the proposer dies and the acceptor knows about it before accepting, the offer is:

A. Still valid
B. Automatically accepted
C. Revoked
D. Converted into a contract

Correct Answer: C
Explanation: Under clause (4) of Section 6, if the proposer dies or becomes insane, and the acceptor comes to know of this before acceptance, the proposal is revoked.

5. What happens if the acceptor fails to fulfil a condition precedent to acceptance?

A. The offer becomes a contract
B. The offer is modified
C. The offer is revoked
D. The offer is extended

Correct Answer: C
Explanation: According to clause (3) of Section 6, failure to fulfil a condition precedent (a condition that must be satisfied before acceptance) will revoke the proposal.

6. Revocation of proposal is valid only if:

A. It is written in legal language
B. It is communicated to the acceptor before acceptance
C. It is approved by a notary
D. It is filed in court

Correct Answer: B
Explanation: Communication of revocation must reach the acceptor before they accept the offer. Once acceptance is done, revocation is not possible.

7. If a proposal is accepted after the proposer’s death, and the acceptor had no knowledge of the death, the contract is:

A. Invalid in all cases
B. Valid subject to conditions
C. Valid only with family’s permission
D. Automatically terminated

Correct Answer: B
Explanation: If the acceptor did not know about the proposer’s death at the time of acceptance, the contract may be valid, depending on the facts and court interpretation.

8. A proposal can be revoked by:

A. Death of offeree
B. Communication of acceptance
C. Communication of revocation before acceptance
D. Silence of the proposer

Correct Answer: C
Explanation: Revocation must be communicated before acceptance for it to be valid under Section 6(1).

9. Reasonable time for acceptance of an offer depends on:

A. The intention of parties
B. The market price
C. The facts and circumstances of each case
D. The consent of third party

Correct Answer: C
Explanation: What is reasonable time is not fixed and will depend on the facts, nature of the contract, and urgency involved.

10. Which Section of the Indian Contract Act defines how a proposal is revoked?

A. Section 3
B. Section 5
C. Section 6
D. Section 7

Correct Answer: C
Explanation: Section 6 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872 deals with the modes of revocation of a proposal.

Section 6: Condition-Based Practice Questions

1. Condition-Based Question: Time Limit

Condition: A makes an offer to B on 1st October to sell his bike for ₹50,000. He mentions, “This offer will remain open till 5th October.”

Question: What happens if B tries to accept the offer on 6th October?

Answer: The offer lapses and stands revoked due to expiry of the time limit as per Section 6(2).

2. Condition-Based Question: Reasonable Time

Condition: A makes an offer to B to buy his land but does not mention any time limit for acceptance. B accepts the offer after 4 months.

Question: Is the acceptance valid?

Answer: No. As per Section 6(2), if no time is mentioned, the offer must be accepted within a reasonable time. Four months is not reasonable in most cases, so the offer is considered revoked.

3. Condition-Based Question: Condition Precedent

Condition: A offers to sell his house to B on the condition that B must pay a token amount of ₹10,000 before 1st November. B fails to pay the token amount by that date.

Question: Can B still accept the offer after 1st November?

Answer: No. The proposal stands revoked under Section 6(3) due to non-fulfilment of a condition precedent.

4. Condition-Based Question: Death of Proposer

Condition: A sends an offer to B on 10th October. A dies on 12th October. B receives the offer on 13th October and accepts it on 14th October without knowing about A’s death.

Question: Is the acceptance valid?

Answer: Yes. As per Section 6(4), a proposal is revoked by death of the proposer only if the acceptor comes to know about it before acceptance. Since B did not know, the acceptance is valid.

Section 6: Problem-Based Practice Questions

5. Problem-Based Question: Communication of Revocation

Problem: A sends an offer to B to sell his car. Before B receives the offer, A sends a telegram revoking the offer. B receives both the offer and the revocation letter on the same day but reads the offer first and accepts it.

Question: Is there a valid contract?

Answer: No. As per Section 6(1), revocation is valid if it reaches the offeree before acceptance. Even if B read the offer first, both communications reached him together, so revocation is valid, and no contract is formed.

6. Problem-Based Question: Revocation After Acceptance

Problem: A sends an offer to B. B posts a letter of acceptance. After B posts the acceptance, A sends a letter revoking the offer.

Question: Is the revocation valid?

Answer: No. As per contract law principles, acceptance is complete when the letter is posted. A’s revocation after that is ineffective. A contract is formed.

7. Problem-Based Question: Revocation Before Communication of Acceptance

Problem: A offers to sell his laptop to B via email on 1st October. B writes a letter of acceptance on 3rd October but posts it on 5th October. Meanwhile, A sends a revocation email on 4th October, which B receives before posting his acceptance.

Question: Is A’s revocation valid?

Answer: Yes. As per Section 6(1), the revocation is valid because it was communicated before the acceptance was dispatched. No contract is formed.

8. Problem-Based Question: Implied Revocation

Problem: A offers to sell his shop to B. Before B accepts, A sells the same shop to C and informs B about the sale.

Question: Is A’s original offer to B still valid?

Answer: No. This is a case of implied revocation. When A sold the shop to another person and informed B, the offer was revoked by conduct, valid under Section 6(1) through communication.

9. Problem-Based Question: Death Known to Acceptor

Problem: A makes an offer to B to sell his factory. Before accepting, B comes to know from a newspaper that A has passed away.

Question: Can B still accept the offer?

Answer: No. As per Section 6(4), the offer is revoked if the proposer dies and the acceptor knows about it before acceptance. Hence, no contract is formed.

Final Thoughts

Introduction

In contract law, revocation means cancelling or withdrawing a proposal (also called an offer). A person who makes a proposal has the right to revoke it, but only under certain conditions. Section 6 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872, explains the ways in which a proposal can be revoked before it becomes a contract.

Section 6 – Revocation How Made

According to Section 6 of the Indian Contract Act, a proposal can be revoked in four ways:

1. By Communication of Revocation by the Proposer

Example: A offers to sell his car to B. Before B accepts, A sends a message withdrawing the offer. If B receives the revocation before accepting, the offer is cancelled.

2. By Lapse of Time

Example: A offers to sell goods to B and says, “Offer valid for 5 days.” If B does not accept in 5 days, the offer is revoked automatically.

3. By Failure of the Acceptor to Fulfil a Condition Precedent

Example: A offers to sell his bike to B on the condition that B must pay ₹1,000 as advance before a specific date. If B fails to pay on time, the offer is revoked.

4. By Death or Insanity of the Proposer

Example: A makes an offer to B. Before B accepts, A dies. If B comes to know of A’s death before accepting, the offer is cancelled.

Conclusion

Section 6 of the Indian Contract Act provides clear rules about how a proposal can be cancelled. It helps protect both parties from confusion and unfairness. Understanding these four methods—communication, lapse of time, failure of condition, and death/insanity—is important for anyone studying contract law.