Is Haryana Civil Services tougher than UPSC as it has two optional papers?

It should never be interpreted in this way. The level of difficulty the amount of topics to cover is significantly higher. The number of optional never make a subject easy or difficult, but the level of questions asked makes it so. Having said that we in no way are trying to give an impression that HCS examination is easy and doesn’t require hard work. One needs focus, study regime and a plan of action to conceive success in the examination. Haryana Civil Services (HCS) is a state level examination in which the student is expected to have an understanding of a particular state along with the nation.

So in case if you are aiming for the HCS examination, one should have an understanding and knowledge of important things about Haryana state (like it’s history geography polity etc). As an IAS you will be recruited as an employee under the central government/Union government by UPSC. While in HCS, you will be recruited as an employee of state government by State public service commission. The student should understand that it is not the number of optional papers that make the exam hard, but the level of difficulty of the asked questions makes it harder. Also, the profile of both positions is different.

As an IAS officer, you have to work under state government such as SDM, DM and secretary under the state government, as well as, under the central government as assistant secretary, joint secretary, additional secretary and secretary to the government of India. While as an officer of HCS, you can only serve the state of Haryana.

At the time of joining, an IAS officer will be an SDM, while an officer under state civil services would be at the lower designation such as BDO.
In matters of promotion, it is an IAS officer who gets frequently promoted as compared to the people serving under state civil services.
Respect of an IAS officer is much higher than that of an officer of state civil services.
Training: No state civil services can match the lifestyle newly recruited employees get at LBSNAA for the training as a civil servant.
The state government can not terminate the job of an IAS OFFICER, but State civil servants work under the total control of state government.
An ex-IAS officer is more likely to join politics than that of an ex-state civil servant.