The Hindu Cryptic on Sunday No 79, Sunday 25 Oct 2026, Afterdark

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ACROSS  

8   AI introduced in Vietnam is worthless (4) VAIN {V{AI}N}

9   Forced the crowd (5) DROVE [DD]

10 Employs American warship around central Nigeria (4) USES {US{nigEria}S}

11 Regional Engineering Colleges uses intellectual property to expose system (6) RECIPE {REC}{IP}E Efrom?

12 Described dog? Indeed (8) DETAILED {DE{TAIL}ED}

13 Engineer may bless convention (8) ASSEMBLY*

15 Clears tracks (6) STRIPS [DD] 

17 Temporarily uses first bus at golden lines (7) BORROWS {Bus}{OR}{ROWS}

19 Understands that time is redundant for these people (7) ?S?I?O?  Error in the clue

22 Energetic Kazakhstanis discard khakis and produce a poem, say (6) STANZA {kAZakhSTANis}*

24 Criminal Ellis hid in brae (8) HILLSIDE*

26 Precious stones kept in suit (8) DIAMONDS [DD]

28 Having uninterrupted power supply in Delhi East initially is an advantageous aspect (6) UPSIDE {UPS}{In}{De..i}{East}

30 Boy with golden spoon ultimately was brought to life by birth (4) BORN {B}{OR}{s..oN}

31 Indicate time (5) SPELL [DD]

32 Send son to guard borders (4) ENDS [T]

DOWN

1   Cook bass and koi first adding spice at the end (4) BAKE {Bass}{And}{Koi}{s..cE}

2   Technician in England shakes and has beer after removing lid (8) ENGINEER {IN+ENG}*{bEER}

3   Say, quickly debar first voter that's fraud (6) ADVERB {DEBAR+Vo..r}*

4   Farewell to leave with first daughter, boy, 4th wife on tour (7) GOODBYE {GO}{Da...r+BOY+wifE}* 

5   Doctors for depression? First session in the beginning (8) DENTISTS {DENT}{1ST}{Se...n}

6   Coach on line, beginning to go as it is more occupied (6) BUSIER {BUS}{tIER}

7   Female, stranger at England seen at fair (4) FETE {F}{ET}{E}

14 Fire bolt (5) SHOOT [DD]

16 To encourage to stay outside University is noble (5) PROUD {PRO{U}D}

18 Infirmity comes from fitful wakefulness, having flu (8) WEAKNESS {WAKEfulNESS}*

20 Demanded sibling shortened visit to India (8) INSISTED {IN{SISTEr}D}

21 How his personality is helping to make a rumour (7) WHISPER [T]

23 Baptizing Amin inside's not good (6) NAMING {N}{AMIN}{G}

25 Dolly sauntered around university noisily (6) LOUDLY {LO{U}DLY*}

27 Metal found in the environment (4) IRON [HIPS]

29 For fathers, daughters are darlings surely, from the beginning (4) DADS Acrostic

Reference List

Golden = OR, Boy = B, Female = F, Stranger = ET, England = E, University = U, India = IND, Not good = NG

No 14932, Saturday 24 October 2026, Incognito

ACROSS
8 Juliet is in front of sick girl tumbling after Jack (4) JILL {J}{ILL}

9 Kind of taste satsuma might possess (5) UMAMI [T]
10 Before 9, United Nations gets operating system (4) UNIX {IX}<=>{UN}
11 Cheese maker's tenner returned (6) RENNET<
12 Exaggerated usage, perhaps, about slaughter (8) OVERKILL {OVER}{KILL}
13 Where one may find figure eights left by sportspersons... (3,5) ICE RINKS [CD]
15 Distress call from vessel after vessel (3,3) PAN PAN {PAN}x2
17 Frank, a singer playing sitar around North America (7) SINATRA {SITAR*} around NA

19 In absence of a coach, diced and covered with gin cocktail to make pasta-like dumplings (7) GNOCCHI {COaCH*} in GIN*

22 Name child under guardian after editor (6) EDWARD {WARD}<=>{{ED}
24 Wrongly indicate a series of elements (8) ACTINIDE*
26 Disfigured Thane cop's memorial (8) CENOTAPH*
28 John and Theodore plundered (6) LOOTED {LOO}{TED}
30 Put it in big enchilada initially and sink teeth in (4) BITE {Big}{IT}{Enchilada}
31 With love, new elm may produce citrus fruit (5) LEMON {O+N+ELM}*
32 Give out loan instalment before time (4) EMIT {EMI}{T}

DOWN
1 Pest is in custody of policeman (4) LICE [HIPS]
2 Horrible rain near plot results in flatworms (8) PLANARIA {RAIN*}<=>{PLAN} anagram fodder amiss
3 Boy leaves dustbin for Hoffman (6) DUSTIN DUSTbIN

4 Oddly move Amos, after dropping Mike, and go away (7) VAMOOSE {mOVE AMOS}*
5 Tailless feline goes around mineral spring resort for period from birth till death (8) LIFESPAN {FELINe*} around SPA
6 Hide behind Russian, Mr Bond (6) RUSKIN {SKIN}<=>{RU}

7 Advertisement may be seen on board behind him (4) BILL [DD}
14 Spoiled rice before commencement of dinner and sobbed (5) CRIED {RICE*}{Dinner}
16 Pest from Andhra Pradesh covered (5) APHID {AP}{HID}
18 Shattered emerald strewn around front of pine tree (3,5) RED MAPLE {EMERALD*} around {Pine}

20 Means from criminal with pieces of paper currency (8) CONNOTES {CON}{NOTES}
21 Amish is cooking Japanese delicacy (7) SASHIMI*

23 Animal having crushed ego in climax (6) APOGEE APE around EGO*
25 Story book is a gift (6) TALENT {TALE}{NT}
27 Lake in Madikeri estate (4) ERIE [T]
29 Ruler's firearm is damaged after throwing far away (4) EMIR {fIREarM}*

REFERENCE LIST

Juliet=J, United Nations=UN, North America=NA, Editor=Ed, Love=0=O, New=N, Boy=B, Mike=M, Russian=RU, Andhra Pradesh=AP, Book=NT (New Testament).