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14 and 16 of the Constitution which is intended to advance justice by avoiding discrimination is attracted only when equals are treated as unequals or where unequals are treated as equals. (See Md. Usman & Ors. v. State of Andhra Pradesh(1). The guarantee of equality does not imply that the same rules should be made applicable to all persons in spite of differences in their circumstances and conditions. (See Chiranjit Lal Chowdhuri v. The Union of India & Ors.(2) It is also well recognised that although Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution forbid hostile discrimination, they do not forbid reasonable classification and equality of opportunity in matters of promotion means equality as between members of the same class of employees and not equality between the members of separate and independent classes. (See ,111 India Station Masters' & Assistant Station Masters' Association & Ors. v. General Manager, Central Railway & Ors,(3) It must always be remembered that though the concept of equal protection and equal opportunity undoubtedly permeates the whole spectrum of an individual's employment from appointment through promotion and termi- nation to the payment of gratuity and pension, it has an inherent limitation arising from the very nature of the constitutional guarantee Equality is for equals, that is to say those who are similarly circumstanced are entitled to an equal treatment but the guarantee enshrined in Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution can not be carried beyond the point which is well settled by a catena of decisions of this Court.