GSTN (Goods and Services Tax Network) provides the IT infrastructure for the entire GST ecosystem. Which of the following correctly describes its ownership structure?

GSTN is a fully government-owned company (not a private or non-government entity) with 50% equity held by the Central Government and the remaining 50% held collectively by all State Governments. It was originally set up in 2013 with 49% private equity (from financial institutions like HDFC, ICICI Bank, NSE, etc.), but in 2018 the Government converted GSTN into a fully government-owned entity by purchasing the private shareholding. This change was made to ensure complete public accountability and data security. GSTN provides the common IT infrastructure for all GST operations including registration, return filing, e-invoicing, and reconciliation.