T. Chandraskhara Menon, J.

1. The petitioners are working as First Grade Overseers in the Civil Wing of the Kerala State Electricity Board, the first respondent in the petition. Recruitment of the post of Overseers and Junior Engineers to the Board are governed by the Kerala State Engineering Subordinate Service Rules as they have been adopted by the Board as Regulations framed under the Electricity (Supply) Act. For appointment to the post of Second Grade Overseers the provision is that 75 per cent of the posts should be filled by direct recruitment from the open market subject to qualification prescribed, and 25 per cent were to be filled up by promoting Tracers already in service who possessed the requisite qualifications. The qualification for promotion was of a lower standard than that for direct recruitment.

2. By a notification dated 26th July 1962 the Board invited applications for 100 posts of 2nd Grade Overseers. Before the selection as per this notification was made, a second notification was issued on 21st June 1963 for 166 posts inclusive of 100 posts already notified. In the second notification it had been specified that those who had applied as per the first no