The Hindu Cryptic on Sunday No 49, Sunday 29 Mar 2026, Vidwan

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ACROSS

1   You turn vacuous king cunningly into new generation radical reformist (5,4) YOUNG TURK {YOU+TURN+KinG}*

6   Swami goads some comrade (5) AMIGO [T]

9   At start, Kacheris are introducing a right kind of amateur singing (7) KARAOKE {Ka...s}{AR{A}{OK}E}

10 Core of maize peel in cooking broccoli penne (7) CORNCOB {CORNCOB+PEEL+IN}*={BROCCOLI PENNE}

11 Hot thighs model for hot leotards (6) TIGHTS {THIG(+t-h)TS}*

12 US City annoyed by English game (8) LACROSSE {LA}{CROSS}{E}

14 Even now one is a Himalayan mystery (4) YETI {YET}{1}

15 Think again about fraud on team runs (10) RECONSIDER {RE}{CON}{SIDE}{R}

18 Turns to fine pink under threat of sharp edged weapon (10) KNIFEPOINT*

20 Inform on bad and good (4) SING {SIN}{G}

23 Rock groups carried mutinous lad to barren areas in the Wild West (8) BADLANDS {BA{LAD*}NDS}

24 Country singer from India, almost through (6) LATVIA {LATa}{VIA}

26 Use one to regularly conceal plant product (7) TAPIOCA {TAP}{1}{cOnCeAl}

27 English dish, possibly tortoise! (7) RISOTTO {RISOTTO+E}*=TORTOISE [CA]

28 Sir! Bihar's rising right away! (5) SAHIB BIHArS<=

29 Strange to live without functional sense of humour (5,4) FUNNY BONE {FUNNY}{B{ON}E}

DOWN

1   Years! Stupidly take year after year to get to Alaska's cattle! (6,3) YAKETY YAK {Y}{TAKE*}{Y}{Y}{AK} Where is the defintion? Cattle/Yakety Yak?

2   Indian State, conservative and honest (7) UPRIGHT {UP}{RIGHT}

3   Had acquired right to regularly stay unpleasant (6) GROTTY {G{R}OT}{sTaY}

4   Fertilizer is component in agriculture activity (4) UREA [T] Semi&lit

5   One century separated two kings, duo ran struggling to move from place to place (4,6) KICK AROUND {K}{1}{C}{K}{DUO+RAN}*

6   Spooner's naked sprint to paint (8) AIRBRUSH (bare rush to airbrush)

7   Cut love out of decision models (7) INCISED DECISIoN*

8   Sun burnt, dark shaded (5) OMBRE sOMBRE

13 Latter part of Che's land reforms (6,4) SECOND HALF*

16 Procedure to fix married adult part (9) RIGMAROLE {RIG}{M}{A}{ROLE}

17 Bathe and come prepared for great sacrifice (8) HECATOMB {BATHe+COME}* How do we delete one E?

19 Then dip around completely (2,5) IN DEPTH*

21 Foreword about very independent way of fertilisation (2,5) IN VITRO {IN{V}{I}TRO}

22 Waterlogged planet, extremely homely (6) MARSHY {MARS}{Ho..lY}

23 Clubs having hot showers (5) BATHS {BAT{H}S}

25 Bird with right English name (4) WREN Acrostic Letter pick indicator missing See comments

Reference List

Right = OK, Model = T, Hot = H, English = E, About = RE, Runs = R, Good = G, Right = R, Years = Y, Century = C, King = K, Sun = S, Married = M, Adult = A, Very = V, Independent = I, With = W, Name = N