Q.Can a minor become a member of a company? Explain briefly.
Under Section 11 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872, an agreement by a minor is void. An application for shares made by a minor in their own name is therefore not a valid contract, and a company may refuse to register, or may later avoid, such a membership.
However, a minor CAN come to hold shares through transmission — for instance, by inheriting shares on the death of a parent who was a member — because transmission arises by operation of law and does not depend on the minor's own contractual capacity. In such cases, the shares are typically operated on the minor's behalf by a natural guardian until the minor attains majority.
A minor cannot validly become a member by applying for shares in their own name, since a minor's agreement is void under the Indian Contract Act, 1872; but a minor may lawfully come to hold shares through transmission (such as inheritance), operated on their behalf by a guardian.
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