The Hindu Crossword 8315 Solutions - by Vinod & Rajagopal

Across
1 Beg but, however, score with gun (8) SCROUNGE (however, score with gun = ana. SCORE+GUN)
5 Expert with spasm is producing vinegar (6) ACETIC (Expert=ACE, spasm=TIC=>Expert with spasm = ACE+TIC)
10 Fancy nickname conceals a scoffer (5) CYNIC (Container => FanCY NICkname)
11 The element to drop in a cascade (9) WATERFALL (Element=WATER, drop=FALL => WATER+FALL)
12 Behaves cruelly towards one, transposing what the doctor does (3-6) ILL TREATS (what the doctor does=TREATS ILL=>transposing what the doctor does=transpose of TREATS ILL = ILL TREATS -- expln. courtesy Parasuram)
13 The pace of casual love (5) TEMPO (casual=TEMP, love=O => TEMP+O)
14 Cut made by old NCC in national highway (5) NOTCH (old NCC=OTC??, national highway=NH=>old NCC in national highway = N(OTC)H)
16 Ringers that could daunt beautiful girls reportedly (8) COWBELLS (daunt=COW, beautiful girls=BELLES=>beautiful girls reportedly=BELLS => COW+BELLS)
18 Plant producing shortened bike, the last word (8) CYCLAMEN (bike=CYCLE=>shortened bike=CYCLE-E, the last word=AMEN => CYCL+AMEN)
20 He introduces performers with the Military Cross, one hears (5) EMCEE (Military Cross=MC=>Military Cross, one hears = homonym of MC)
24 Ram's sign (5) ARIES (Cryptic def)
25 Former partner, stressed about drip that is comprehensive (9) EXTENSIVE (Former partner=EX, stressed=TENSE, drip=IV(Intra-Venous drip)=>Former partner, stressed about drip = EXTENS(IV)E)
27 Australian creature in Kerala: boa of new variety (5,4) KOALA BEAR (Kerala: boa of new variety = ana. KERALA+BOA)
28 Tired, right in the early morning (5) DRAWN (right=R, early morning=DAWN=>right in the early morning = D(R)AWN)
29 A great deal advanced in extremes of penury (6) PLENTY (advanced=LENT, extremes of PenurY=PY=>advanced in extremes of penury = P(LENT)Y)
30 What can be burnt as fuel daily? Black diamonds! (8) CHARCOAL (Daily=CHAR (as in a daily maid), Black diamonds=COAL => CHAR+COAL)

Down
1 Force produced by pressure difference is cut on being switched (7) SUCTION (is cut on being switched = ana. IS+CUT+ON)
2 Lock of hair hanging down — call it a hindrance? (7) RINGLET (call=RING, hindrance=LET=>call it a hindrance = RING+LET)
3 Cruel deception is a source of corruption (5) ULCER (Cruel deception = ana. CRUEL)
4 Valueless trinket turning up in swag, we gather (6) GEWGAW (Reverse container => sWAG WEGather -- 'turning up' suggests reversal, and 'in' is the containment indicator)
6 Support for bridge, for one (4,5) CARD TABLE (Cryptic Def)
7 Hindrance to free action at the heart of flummery later rectified (7) TRAMMEL (heart of fluMMery=MM, later=LATER=>heart of flummery later rectified = ana. MM+LATER)
8 To ring up America about nothing is insensitive (7) CALLOUS (ring up=CALL, America=US, nothing=O=>To ring up America about nothing = CALL(O)US)
9 Sound cue for 'Gesundheit' (7) ATISHOO (They say 'Gesundheit' in Germany, when a person 'atishoos' i.e. sneezes)
15 Initial advantage makes the principal jump (4,5) HEAD START (principal=HEAD, jump=START)
17 Always in the red, but highly respected (7) REVERED (Always=EVER, red=RED=>Always in the red = R(EVER)ED)
18 Eccentric is out of bed: start the engine (5,2) CRANK UP (Eccentric=CRANK, out of bed=UP)
19 Trend of public opinion — about weather conditions? (7) CLIMATE (Dbl Def??)
21 City that was elegant in the past (7) CHICAGO (elegant=CHIC, in the past=AGO => CHIC+AGO)
22 Undying, like Rome (7) ETERNAL (Dbl Def -- the eternal city)
23 Food component that makes a good man superior (6) STARCH (a good man=ST, superior=ARCH => ST+ARCH)
26 The depths of the drain cleared (5) NADIR (drain cleared = ana. DRAIN)