Question

Alisha, a physicist agrees to pay Navya, a mathematician, 1,000 rupees if two straight lines should enclose a space. The agreement is ________.

• A. Valid
• B. Illegal
• C. A wager
• D. Void

Hint:

Agreements contingent on impossible events are void *ab initio* (from the very beginning).
It does not matter whether the parties knew about the impossibility of the event at the time of making the agreement.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The question presents a specific hypothetical scenario: a physicist agrees to pay a mathematician 1,000 rupees upon the occurrence of a scientifically and mathematically impossible event (two straight lines enclosing a space).
We need to determine the legal status of this agreement under the Indian Contract Act, 1872.

Step 2: Key Legal Principles and Approach:
This agreement involves an act or occurrence that is physically and geometrically impossible.
The primary legal provision governing agreements to do impossible acts or agreements contingent on impossible events is Section 56 (Paragraph 1) and Section 36 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:

• Initial Impossibility: Section 56 (First Paragraph) states: "An agreement to do an act impossible in itself is void."

• In geometry, it is an absolute and immutable truth that two straight lines can never enclose a space; they can only intersect at a single point or run parallel.

• Therefore, the event or act promised is impossible in its very nature.

• Contingent on Impossible Events: Alternatively, if the agreement is seen as a contingent contract under Section 36, the rule is: "Contingent agreements to do or not to do anything, if an impossible event happens, are void, whether the impossibility of the event is known or not to the parties to the agreement at the time when it is made."

• Statutory Illustration: Illustration (a) to Section 36 of the Act is directly identical to this problem: "A agrees to pay B 1,000 rupees if two straight lines should enclose a space. The agreement is void."

• Both Section 56 and Section 36 lead to the same legal conclusion: the agreement is completely void.

• Thus, Option (D) is the correct answer.

Step 4: Final Answer:
According to Section 36 (Illustration a) and Section 56 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872, an agreement based on a geometric impossibility is void, making Option (D) the correct answer.