No 14072, Monday 15 Jan 2024, Afterdark

HAPPY PONGAL

Solution to 8D has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered only by a non-regular / novice commenter, with proper annotation. Those who have answered earlier in the week, please give others a chance.

Open for anyone to answer, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

1   Logical to back a new police officer at institute to be encouraging (13) INSPIRATIONAL {RATIONAL}<=>{1}{N}{SP}{I}

10 Upgrading commercial vehicle using CGI creatively ushering in new beginning (9) ADVANCING {AD}{VAN}{CI{New}G*}

11 Forge case (5) FRAME [DD]

12 Members of Satsang elated by saint (5) ANGEL [T]

13 Loner's opening very short and tense (9) INTROVERT INTROVERT {INTRO}{VERy}{T}

14 Eventually, by losing following and some supremacy, feminist will be broken (2,4) IN TIME fEMINIsT*

16 Current loadshed dynamic in parts (4) EDDY [T]

19 Overthrown king unlocked (4) AJAR <=

20 Increasing verbosity! Sack the leader (6) ADDING pADDING

25 A fine caterer employed for medical support (9) AFTERCARE {A}{F}{CATERER*}

26 Sailor's a feet from facing toward the stern (5) ABAFT {AB}{A}{FT}

27 Some infection in game leads to life-threatening disease (5) POLIO {POL{In...n}O}

28 After leaving Goa, aborigine wandering worried with drunkard (9) INEBRIATE {aBoRIgINE}*{ATE}

29 Brainwashed dictator in den scheming (13) INDOCTRINATED* 

DOWN

2   Direct vehicle to reverse near entrance beyond second pillar (8) NAVIGATE {VAN<=}{GATE} over {pIl..r}

3   Board will finally interfere to check misfired plan (5) PANEL {PAN{i...rE}L*}

4   Stirred martinis spending money and some tips for Sultana, perhaps (6) RAISIN mARtINIS*

5   Pronto, get heroine extract as a team (8) TOGETHER [T]

6   Shifted food afield to be distributed after deiodination (9) OFFLAODED {FOOD+AFiELD}*

7   Surprised that an E-Commerce giant is off feeds frequently (6) AMAZED {AMAZon}{fEeDs} 'off' or 'not off'? See comments 

8   Half of country wants a cricket team for state (6) ?A?A?I (Addendum - MALAWI {MALAysia}{WI} - See comments) 

9   Say, canines getting unhinged run amok on eighteenth (5) TEETH  eighTEEnTH

15 Steward with serious mood swings (5-4) MAJOR-DOMO {MAJOR}{MOOD*}

17 Musician at first was backed by agency (8) ORGANIST {1ST}<=>{ORGAN}

18 Idol facing, say, disgrace to wander off (8) DIVAGATE {DIVA}{GATE}

21 0-1, got her in rally (6) RATHER Anno pending (Addendum - GATHER {G(-o+a)AT+HER} - See comments)

22 Vixen is glad when power's right (5) HARPY HAR(-r+p)PY

23 Nicked to first slip, Len caught the first ball (6) STOLEN {Slip}{LEN} over {The}{O}

24 Oriental people follow visionary finally, one from Middle East (6) YEMENI {E}{MEN} after {v...rY} then {1}

26 Say, vessel held in Malta or Taiwan (5) AORTA [T]

Reference List

Institute = I, New = N, Tense = T, Fine = F, Sailor = AB, Money = M, Power = P, Right = R, Oriental = E