The Hindu Crossword 8290 Solutions - by Vinod & Rajagopal

Across
1 Reserve money, a cerebral principle (11) FUNDAMENTAL (Reserve money=FUND, a=A, cerebral=MENTAL)
9 Bath for the pig? Nonsense (7) HOGWASH (pig=HOG, bath=WASH)
10 Bit of embroidery is more than sufficient in the borders of sweater (7) SAMPLER (more than sufficient=AMPLE, borders of SweateR=SR=>more than sufficient in the borders of sweater = S(AMPLE)R)
11 Boy in charge of sound (5) SONIC (Boy=SON, in charge=IC)
12 Bloomer by a star, female, junior (9) SUNFLOWER (a star=SUN, female=F, junior=LOWER)
13 Stopper in an Irish county (4) CORK (Dbl Def)
15 Unpredictable boy sheltered a pest (7) ERRATIC (boy=ERIC, pest=RAT=>boy sheltered a pest = ER(RAT)IC)
19 He (or she) plans an intrigue (7) SCHEMER (Direct)
20 Festival, Indian style (4) MELA (Direct)
24 Source of warmth at home (9) FIREPLACE (Direct)
25 The incongruity of hard metal with a trace of yttrium (5) IRONY (hard metal=IRON, trace of Yttrium=Y)
27 Time to get back in before the hermit (7) EREMITE (time to get back=rev. of TIME=EMIT,before=ERE=>Time to get back in before = ER(EMIT)E)
28 Encroach upon 22 scattering around parking (7) IMPINGE (22 scattering=ana. GEMINI, parking=P=>22 scattering around parking=ana. GEMINI+P)
29 Miserly, drunk and hit (11) TIGHTFISTED (drunk=TIGHT, hit=FISTED)

Down
1 Boring task at home for Dickensian character (5) FAGIN (Boring task=FAG, at home=IN)
2 On cue, Ann is distracted by a nicety (6) NUANCE (cue, Ann is distracted = ana. CUE+ANN)
3 Astounded by a ghost with change of heart (6) AGHAST (a=A, ghOst with a change of heart=replace O with A=GHAST)
4 Where the Spanish sound off when asleep — around one Danish castle (8) ELSINORE (the Spanish=EL, sound off when asleep=SNORE, one=I=>the Spanish sound off when asleep — around one = EL+S(I)NORE)
5 A South Indian confuses a militant no end (8) TAMILIAN (confuses a militant no end = ana. A+MILITANT-T)
6 Pure as a flower, honourable (4-5) LILY-WHITE (Dbl Def)
7 Branch of science reportedly giving sparkle to ICs (7) PHYSICS (sparkle=FIZZ=>reportedly giving sparkle=homonym of sparkle=PHYS, ICs=ICS)
8 Big number found right in the centre (5) CRORE (right=R, centre=CORE=>right in the centre=C(R)ORE)
14 Tending to be repeated on stream (9) RECURRENT (stream=CURRENT)
16 Dangling the carrot? (8) TEMPTING (Direct)
17 Warning to be prepared for danger — from a socialist (3,5) RED ALERT (Socialist=RED)
18 Mineral, a source of barium (7) BARYTES (Direct)
21 Tender proposal (5) OFFER (Dbl Def)
22 The sign of the twins (6) GEMINI (Direct)
23 Marine creature that is flabby, alien (6) LIMPET (flabby=LIMP, alient=ET)
26 Admitted into a brown edifice (5) OWNED (Container => brOWN EDifice)