Section 6 Indian Contract Act 1872 - Revocation How Made

Section 6 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872 specifies the circumstances in which a proposal, commonly called an offer, is revoked. It forms part of Chapter I dealing with communication, acceptance and revocation of proposals.

Updated: 20 September 2026

What does Section 6 provide?

A proposal does not remain open indefinitely. Section 6 identifies four statutory ways in which it may be revoked before a binding acceptance is completed, subject also to the rules governing communication and revocation in Sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Act.

Section 6 - Revocation how made

A proposal is revoked:

by communication of notice of revocation by the proposer to the other party;
by lapse of the time prescribed in the proposal for acceptance, or, where no time is prescribed, by lapse of a reasonable time without communication of acceptance;
by failure of the acceptor to fulfil a condition precedent to acceptance; or
by the death or insanity of the proposer, if that fact comes to the knowledge of the acceptor before acceptance.

Meaning of important terms

Proposal: Under Section 2(a), when one person signifies to another a willingness to do or abstain from doing something with a view to obtaining the other's assent, that person is said to make a proposal.

Acceptance: Under Section 2(b), when the person to whom the proposal is made signifies assent to it, the proposal is accepted. A proposal, when accepted, becomes a promise.

Revocation: In this context, revocation means withdrawal or termination of a proposal before it results in a binding promise in accordance with the Act.

Four modes of revocation under Section 6

1. Notice of revocation The proposer may withdraw the proposal by communicating notice of revocation to the other party. The communication rules in Sections 3 and 4 are relevant to determining when revocation takes effect.

2. Lapse of time If the proposal fixes a period for acceptance, it may be revoked by expiry of that period without communication of acceptance. If no period is fixed, the law applies a reasonable-time standard depending on the circumstances.

3. Failure of a condition precedent Where acceptance depends on fulfilment of a condition that must occur first, failure to satisfy that condition revokes the proposal under Section 6(3).

4. Death or insanity of proposer Death or insanity revokes the proposal when the acceptor learns of that fact before acceptance. The statutory requirement of knowledge is important.

Relationship with Section 5

Section 5 deals with the time up to which proposals and acceptances may be revoked. Section 6 explains the modes by which a proposal is revoked. The provisions should therefore be read together with Sections 3 and 4, which govern communication and when communication becomes complete.

Practical point: Whether a proposal has been effectively revoked can depend on the sequence and timing of the proposal, the revocation, the communication of acceptance and, where applicable, knowledge of the proposer's death or insanity.

Official text of the Act

For the authoritative statutory text and current central legislation record, refer to the Government of India's Indian Contract Act, 1872 on India Code. Users should verify the current statutory text and any applicable state amendments before relying on a provision in a particular matter.

Related provisions

Section 3 - Communication, acceptance and revocation of proposals
Section 4 - Communication when complete
Section 5 - Revocation of proposals and acceptances
Section 7 - Acceptance must be absolute
Section 8 - Acceptance by performing conditions or receiving consideration
Section 9 - Promises, express and implied