When A borrows Rs. 20,000/- from B and hands over his golden watch as security for the repayment of the debt, this transaction is known as a pledge.
A pledge is a special kind of bailment where goods or movable property are delivered by the borrower (called the pledgor) to the lender (called the pledgee) as security for a debt or obligation.
The pledgee holds possession of the goods until the debt is repaid. If the borrower fails to repay, the pledgee has certain rights over the pledged goods, including the right to sell them.
Thus, pledging is a form of security interest that provides the lender assurance of repayment backed by possession of the pledged goods.
Conclusion:
The act of keeping a golden watch as security for a loan is called a pledge.