The Hindu Crossword 8297 Solutions - by Vinod & Rajagopal

Phew, finally, after all these days of unspeakable and ineluctable torment, it's a different compiler. An easy grid. Enjoyable nevertheless.

Across
1 Curt gibe about a zoo baby (5,3) TIGER CUB (Curt gibe about = ana. CURT GIBE)
5 Leaps over safes? (6) VAULTS (Dbl Def)
9 Train chaps to be Cinderella's accompaniers to the ball (8) COACHMEN (Dbl Def)
10 Airplane trip involves fifty in a squabble (6) FLIGHT (fifty=L, squabble=FIGHT=>fifty in a squabble= L in FIGHT = F(L)IGHT)
12 One to observe a children's game (1,3) I SPY (One=I, to observe=SPY)
13 A candid set hoisted as runners (10) CANDIDATES (A candid set hoisted = ana. A+CANDID+SET)
15 Quarter to the identical seed (6) SESAME (Quarter=SE, identical=SAME => SE+SAME)
17 Confine a poet? (5) POUND (Dbl Def)
20 About conclusion, at a stretch (2,3) ON END (Dbl Def)
21 Warns hesitantly about Oriental response (6) ANSWER (Warns hesitantly=ana. WARNS=ANSWR, Oriental=E=>Warns hesitantly about Oriental=ANSWR about E = ANSW(E)R)
24 A government that overly shepherds its citizens (5,5) NANNY STATE (Direct)
27 Pole, be lenient endlessly (4) SPAR (be lenient=SPARE=>be lenient endlessly = SPARE-E)
29 Girl brings the learner to Mother (6) THELMA (the=THE, learner=L, Mother=MA=>brings the learner to Mother = THE+L+MA)
30 Desperate final effort in the home stretch, perhaps (4,4) LAST GASP (Direct)
31 Detesting the witch going round a box (6) HATING (witch=HAG, box=TIN=>witch going round a box=HAG around TIN = HA(TIN)G)
32 Direct the view doing the rounds about revolutionary art (8) STRAIGHT (view=SIGHT, revolutionary art=reverse of ART=TRA=>view doing the rounds about revolutionary art=SIGHT around TRA = S(TRA)IGHT)

Down
1 Strategic plan to perform in the grip of a nervous complaint (6) TACTIC (perform=ACT, nervous complaint=TIC=>perform in the grip of a nervous complaint=ACT in TIC = T(ACT)IC)
2 Relative may behave violently in Georgia (6) GRAMPA (behave voilently=RAMP, georgia=GA=>behave violently in Georgia=RAMP in GA = G(RAMP)A)
3 Demon in Agra humbled (4) RAHU (Container => agRA HUmbled)
4 Superior meal cooked up for a body of Muslim scholars (5) ULEMA (Superior=U, meal cooked up=ana. MEAL=LEMA => U+LEMA)
6 Suffered ill-health as one deli dished up wrongly (5) AILED (one=A, deli dished up wrongly=ana. DELI=ILED => A+ILED)
7 Begins to smoke after an easily assimilated drink (6,2) LIGHTS UP (easily assimilated=LIGHT, drink=SUP)
8 Stop to allot a task to a team (3,5) SET ASIDE (task=SET, a=A, team=SIDE => SET A+SIDE)
11 A god's farewells (6) ADIEUS (A=A, god's=DIEUS??)
14 Look after a number, a large number (4) SEED (a number=TEN, a large number=D => TEN+D)
16 Looks forward to a week on a sit-out (6) AWAITS (A=A, week=W, a sit out=ana. A+SIT=AITS => A+W+AITS)
17 Get ready advertising on the record (4) PREP (advertising=PR, record=EP => PR+EP)
18 First-rate (3-5) TOP-NOTCH (Direct)
19 Most miniature settee in order (8) TEENIEST (settee in order = ana. SETTEE+IN)
22 Jumped as the Superintendent of Police called (6) SPRANG (Superintendent of Police=SP, called=RANG)
23 Royal Marines in a mine, the least desirable place (6) ARMPIT (Royal Marines=RM, a=A, mine=PIT=>Royal Marines in a mine = A(RM)PIT)
25 Country where persons who always agree have no shred of shame (5) YEMEN (persons who always agree=YESMEN, shred of Shame=S=>persons who always agree have no shred of shame = YESMEN-S)
26 Stretch a treatise (5) TRACT (Dbl Def)
28 "Fragrant oil" not right! "Flour" is! (4) ATTA (Fragrant oil=ATTAR=>Fragrant oil not right=ATTAR-R)