New Delhi, Sept. 28 -- Union ministry of housing and urban affairs Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday inaugurated the Swachh Shehar Jodi (SSJ) programme, a mentorship and collaborative action programme intended to enable knowledge transfer, peer learning, and replication of best practices in waste management and urban cleanliness.

Under this programme, which comes under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U) mission, 72 top-performing "mentor" cities - identified based on their Swachh Survekshan rankings - have been paired with approximately 200 lower-ranked "mentee" cities.

"The programme is a non-ceremonial, outcome-driven initiative ensuring that no city is left behind in sanitation metrics," Khattar said at the launch event in Sonipat...