NEW DELHI: Given half a chance, women would jump at joining the armed forces in far larger numbers, even as jawans for the first time. They are even gung-ho about combat roles, like the six women fighter pilots undergoing training in the IAF have proven in the battle against entrenched mindsets.Yet another glass-ceiling in the 15-lakh strong armed forces is all set to be shattered soon, with over two lakh young girls applying online for just 100 vacancies for women jawans in the Corps of Military Police (CMP).The Army is concurrently also planning to raise a "Mahila Provost Unit" in the Territorial Army for the first time, with two officers, three junior commissioned officers and 40 soldiers. "The final approval for this is on the anvil," said a senior officer.The armed forces till now have inducted women only as officers, and kept them firmly away from serving on board warships and submarines as well as joining "fighting arms" in the Army like infantry, armoured corps and artillery."Recruitment of women as soldiers (general duty) in the CMP is a path-breaking step. With over two lakh women registering online since April 25, the recruitment rally is now slated to be held at Belgaum before this month-end," he said.The Army plans to induct 1,700 women in the PBOR (personnel below officer rank) category in the CMP in a phased manner over the next 17 years."With 100 of them being inducted every year, women will eventually constitute 20% of the CMP. The functional efficiency of the first women provost unit in the Territorial Army, in turn, will decide whether more such units should be raised," said the officer.The Army plans to deploy women soldiers, who will be trained at the CMP Centre in Bengaluru, for crowd control and frisking of women protestors in militancy-hit areas like Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast."The lack of women police personnel poses serious problems for the Army in these disturbed areas. Moreover, the CMP women will also help in investigation of criminal cases like rapes and molestation as well as in preserving good order and discipline in military formations," said another officer.Women, of course, continue to be a miniscule number in the male-dominated environs of the armed forces. But more of them are now getting permanent commission instead of being made to leave service after 14-15 years as short-service commission officers."But combat roles also need to be opened up for those women who want to opt for them. Many countries do not have a combat-exclusion policy for women who are willing to bite the bullet," said a woman officer.This is certainly true. Women can serve on warships in many countries ranging from Malaysia and Singapore to Sri Lanka and Bangladesh . Women in the US serve even on nuclear submarines with ballistic missiles. Much before India, there have been women fighter pilots in several countries like the US, Russia, Turkey and Pakistan.