1. The short question which arises in this case is whether Ext. P2 order dated 16 - 3 -1959 of the Government which says that diploma holders in Civil or Mechanical Engineering of the Travancore University are not eligible for promotion to the post of Executive Engineers from that of Assistant Engineers, but persons holding the Upper Subordinate Diploma of the College of Engineering, Guindy, would be eligible for such promotion is so unreasonable a classification as to be violative of Art.16 of the Constitution. The petitioner challenged Exts P1 and P2 orders of the Government dated 30 - 3 -1962 and 16 - 3 - 1959, respectively, in so far as they provided for such a differential treatment. The petitioner, at the time of filing the petition, was an Assistant Engineer in the civil branch of the Kerala State Electricity Board. He holds the Diploma of the Travancore University in Civil Engineering. The petitioner says that persons holding Diplomas in Civil or Mechanical Engineering of the Travancore (now Kerala) University or Upper Subordinate Diploma of the College of Engineering, Guindy, have to grind their way from the bottom of the hierarchy of posts to the post of Assis