The attempt to repair the defence budget with a short-term troop intake largely backfired, but it can still be made to work. The Agnipath scheme was launched by the Indian government in June 2022. Its primary goal was to achieve a leaner and younger army. However, the scheme initially sparked violent protests and just two years after its introduction, it is again at the receiving end of criticism, with calls for its abolition. The Indian army is heavy with troops and so a large portion of the defence budget goes to salaries (around 31 percent) and pensions (23 percent), leaving only a small portion for equipment upgrades and technological development. To address this imbalance, the Agnipath scheme was designed to recruit young people (17.5 to 21 years of age) for four years to undertake rigorous military training, with full absorption of just 25 percent of recruits after the initial four years. The new recruits would be called Agniveers or "Fiery Warriors". As the army is one of the largest employers of young people in India, the short-term nature of the job and the lack of guaranteed employment after four years faced criticism. It has also been called out for how it might impact the effectiveness of the army in the long term.