Unless rejected by a party, this contract will remain valid and enforceable. The party who is at the disadvantage due to any circumstance applicable to the contract has the ability to render the agreement void. A void agreement is void ab initio making it impossible to rectify any defects in it while voidable contracts can be rectified. In case of a void agreement, neither of the parties is subject to any compensation for any losses but voidable contracts have some remedies.
A valid agreement forms a contract that may again be either valid or voidable. The primary difference between a void agreement and voidable contract is that a void agreement cannot be converted into a contract.
(Extracted with edits from A Comparative Study of Voidable Contracts and Void Agreements)
Which of the following best describes a void agreement?
- An agreement that is valid until declared invalid by a court
- An agreement that has no legal effect from the beginning
- An agreement that is legally enforceable
- An agreement that can be enforced if one party chooses to do so
The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
A void agreement is defined as an agreement that has no legal effect from the beginning. This means it is considered invalid from its outset and cannot be enforced in any court of law. According to the Indian Contract Act, 1872, void agreements are fundamentally flawed, often due to illegal elements, making them unenforceable by default. In contrast, a voidable contract is initially valid and enforceable but may be annulled by one party if certain conditions are met.
The Contract Act outlines the nature of such agreements and contracts:
- Section 2(h) defines a contract as an agreement enforceable by law.
- A valid agreement forms the basis of a contract, which might be valid or voidable.
- However, a void agreement cannot be converted into a contract as it lacks essential legal standing.
In essence, the main characteristic of a void agreement is its inherent lack of legal effect from inception, distinguishing it from voidable contracts or valid agreements.
A contract between two parties to rob a bank and share the proceeds equally can be termed as:
- Void Contract
- Valid Contract
- Voidable Contract
- Legally Enforceable Contract
The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
In legal studies, it's crucial to understand different types of contracts as per the Contract Act 1872. The options provided relate to the nature of a contractual agreement between two parties planning to engage in illegal activities, such as robbing a bank.
A contract is defined in Section 2(h) as an agreement enforceable by law. For an agreement to be a valid contract, it should not involve illegal actions or purposes. Here's why a contract to rob a bank is considered a 'void contract':
- Void Contract: According to the Act, a void contract consists of agreements that are fundamentally invalid due to illegal components. Robbing a bank is illegal, making any agreement regarding it unenforceable by law, hence void.
- Valid Contract: This requires legality of purpose, which is absent in this scenario as robbing a bank is illegal.
- Voidable Contract: Such contracts are initially valid but can become void at the discretion of one party. However, they start with legality, unlike a robbery agreement.
- Legally Enforceable Contract: Necessitates lawful actions, which clearly isn't applicable to illegal endeavors.
Based on these explanations, the agreement to rob a bank is a 'Void Contract' as it involves illegal activity.
An agreement made by an adult but involving a minor child where the signatory is a minor child himself, this agreement would be:
- A valid and enforceable agreement
- A voidable agreement
- A void agreement
- An agreement that cannot be enforced by the minor
The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
To determine the nature of the agreement made by an adult but involving a minor where the signatory is a minor child himself, we can analyze it under the Indian Contract Act, 1872. According to Section 2(h) of the Act, a contract is an agreement enforceable by law. However, agreements involving minors have specific considerations.
Key points from the Indian Contract Act:
- A "void agreement" is an agreement that is not enforceable by law and is considered never to have existed (void ab initio).
- A "voidable contract" is initially valid and enforceable but can be declared void at the discretion of one party.
Given the comprehension from the Act, an agreement signed by a minor and involving them is a "void agreement" because:
- Minors lack the legal capacity to enter into agreements enforceable by law.
- Such agreements cannot be rectified or enforced even when involving adult parties.
Thus, the agreement described would be classified as:
A void agreement
Which of the following scenarios would most likely result in a void agreement?
- An agreement signed by someone under duress
- A contract with mutually agreed terms to sell a house
- An agreement to pay 10 lakhs on getting a government job
- A contract with a minor who understands the terms
The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
| Scenario | Analysis | Conclusion |
|---|---|---|
| An agreement signed by someone under duress | This scenario describes a voidable contract, not a void agreement. The contract is enforceable unless the disadvantaged party chooses to void it. | Voidable, not void |
| A contract with mutually agreed terms to sell a house | This represents a valid contract. It is enforceable by law with no fundamental illegal elements. | Valid |
| An agreement to pay 10 lakhs on getting a government job | This is likely a void agreement because it involves an agreement that lacks lawful consideration. Consideration based on obtaining a government job is illegal. | Void |
| A contract with a minor who understands the terms | Contracts with minors are generally considered void, as minors lack the capacity to contract. | Void |
An agreement made without consideration is generally:
- Valid agreement
- Enforceable agreement
- Void agreement
- Voidable agreement
The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
- Valid agreement: This is incorrect because an agreement without consideration does not meet the necessary criteria outlined in the Act and thus cannot be valid.
- Enforceable agreement: Also incorrect, as enforceability under law requires all elements of a contract, including consideration, to be present.
- Void agreement: Correct. A void agreement is legally unenforceable due to the absence of its essential components, such as consideration. Section 10 of the Indian Contract Act states that an agreement without consideration is void unless it falls under specific exceptions.
- Voidable agreement: Not applicable in this context. A voidable agreement is initially valid until annulled by one of the parties due to reasons like coercion or fraud, but it always requires valid consideration at its inception.
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Match List-I with List-II\[\begin{array}{|c|c|} \hline \textbf{List-1} & \textbf{List-II} \\ \hline \text{(A) Hadley v. Baxendale} & \text{(1) Undue Influence} \\ \hline \text{(B) Henkel v. Pape} & \text{(II) Coercion} \\ \hline \text{(C) Manu Singh v. Umadat Pandey} & \text{(III) Quantum of Damages} \\ \hline \text{(D) Chikkam Amiraju v. Seshamma} & \text{(IV) Mistake} \\ \hline \end{array}\]
- CUET (PG) - 2025
- LLM
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Questions Asked in CLAT exam
- In a language laboratory, students were given an interesting puzzle involving the word "ELECTROCARDIOGRAPH." The teacher explained that such exercises not only test logical skills but also sharpen attention to detail. According to the challenge, the word had to undergo a series of transformations. First, the class was asked to take the first half of the letters, reverse their order and make the arrangement of letters look quite different from the original. Next, the students were told to identify the last but one letter of the original word and place it at the very beginning, a step that changed the opening appearance of the sequence completely. Finally, as a finishing touch, they had to add the letter 'S' at the end. Following these steps carefully would lead them to the correct transformed word, and only those who adhered to each condition in the exact order could solve the puzzle successfully. (150 words)
- CLAT - 2026
- Coding Decoding
On the night of October 12th, the "Sunburst Medallion" was stolen from the highly secured display case in the city museum. The theft occurred sometime between the museum closing at 10:00 PM and the night guard, Mr. Hemant, completing his final round at 1:00 AM. Three primary suspects were identified, all of whom had recently been dismissed from their museum positions: Anjali, the former curator; Bharat, the former security expert; and Chitra, the former exhibits designer.
Here are the established facts and their alibis:
- The security system logs show that the display case was opened using a specific five-digit code, which only Anjali and the museum director (who was out of the country) knew.
- Bharat's alibi is that he was at a distant relative's birthday party from 8:00 PM to 1:30 AM. Multiple independent witnesses confirmed his presence throughout the entire period.
- Chitra's alibi is that she was working late at a downtown graphic design studio. A time-stamped security camera from the studio's entrance shows her entering at 7:00 PM and exiting at 11:45 PM. The studio is a 20-minute drive from the museum.
- Mr. Hemant, the night guard, stated he checked the medallion at 10:30 PM, and it was still there.
Further investigation revealed that a small, distinctive silver button was found near the display case. Anjali is known to frequently wear a coat with similar unique silver buttons. The security expert, Bharat, had previously boasted that he could remotely disable a certain type of magnetic lock—the same type used on the medallion's case—without needing the code, though the log suggests the code was used. (269 words)
- CLAT - 2026
- Assertion and Reason
In a small town lived a close-knit family where every relation could be expressed through simple symbols. For instance, when they said \( A \times B \), it meant \( A \) is the father of \( B \), while \( A \div B \) meant \( A \) is the mother of \( B \). The younger ones were often introduced with \( A + B \), meaning \( A \) was the daughter of \( B \), and the bond of brotherhood was shown by \( A - B \) (A is brother of B).
One day, the children in the family turned these symbols into a playful code. Instead of introducing their parents and siblings in words, they spoke only in symbols. “Look,” giggled little Meena, “\( M + N \div O \)!” Everyone laughed, because they knew it meant Meena was the daughter of \( N \), and \( N \) was the mother of \( O \), making her \( O \)’s sister. What started as a code soon became a family game, making the bonds of father, mother, daughter, and brother not just relations, but symbols of love and togetherness. (165 words)
- CLAT - 2026
- Blood Relations
Four teams – Red (R), Blue (B), Green (G), and Yellow (Y) – are competing in the final four rounds of the Inter-School Science Olympiad, labeled Round A, Round B, Round C, and Round D. Each round consists of one match between two teams, and every team plays exactly two matches. No team plays the same opponent more than once.
The final schedule must adhere to the following rules:
- Rule 1 (Consecutive Play): The Green team (G) must play their two matches in consecutive rounds.
- Rule 2 (Fixed Appearance): The Yellow team (Y) must play in Round B.
- Rule 3 (Positional Constraint): The Red team (R) must play against the Blue team (B) in a round that is immediately before a round in which neither R nor B is playing.
- Rule 4 (Timing): The Blue team's (B) first match must occur in an earlier round than the Green team's (G) first match.
- Rule 5 (Opponent Link): The team that plays against the Red team (R) in the round that is not against the Blue team (B), is the same team that plays in Round D.
(193 words)
- CLAT - 2026
- Seating Arrangement
Health insurance plays a vital role in ensuring financial protection and access to quality healthcare. In India, however, the extent and nature of health insurance coverage vary significantly between urban and rural areas. While urban populations often have better access to organized insurance schemes, employer-provided coverage, and awareness about health policies, rural populations face challenges such as limited outreach of insurance schemes, inadequate infrastructure, and lower awareness levels. This urban-rural divide in health insurance coverage highlights the broader issue of healthcare inequality, making it essential to analyze the factors contributing to this gap and explore strategies for more inclusive health protection. A state-level health survey was conducted.
The survey covered 1,80,000 adults across urban and rural areas. Urban residents formed 55% of the sample (that is, 99,000 people) while rural residents made up 45% (that is, 81,000 people). In each area, coverage was classified under four heads – Public schemes, Private insurance, Employer-provided coverage, and Uninsured. In urban areas, Public coverage accounted for 28% of the urban population, Private for 22%, Employer for 18%, and the remaining 32% were Uninsured. In rural areas, where formal coverage is generally lower, Public coverage stood at 35%, Private at 10%, Employer at 8%, while 47% were Uninsured.
For this survey, “Insured” includes everyone covered by Public + Private + Employer schemes, and “Uninsured” indicates those with no coverage at all. Officials noted that public schemes remain the backbone of rural coverage, while employer and private plans are relatively more prevalent in urban centres. (250 words)
- CLAT - 2026
- Ratio and Proportion