New Delhi, Mar 6 (IANS): The Congress said Wednesday India could face the global economic slowdown because of the "sound" economic policies of the UPA government and that the country would continue to grow at a rate second only to China.

Initiating the debate in the Rajya Sabha on the motion of thanks to President Pranab Mukherjee's address to the joint session of parliament on the opening day of the budget session, Congress leader Renuka Chowdhary lauded the government's economic policies.

"We were enjoying a boom time but the world underwent a financial crisis. Our armour was dented but is still strong. We could go through the 2008 economic crisis because we had the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government and because of the sound policies of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh," Chowdhary said.

"India will continue to grow at 5.9 percent, second only to China, because of the sound economic policies of the government," she said.

She also said that the government was taking steps to empower women and increase the reach of education.