Microcontrollers and its usage should be common knowledge in this 21st century. However, all books are written in English so average electronics guy in Sri Lanka finds it difficult to grasp the technology. If we think carefully, the majority of people who repairs and builds electronic systems are not graduates or diploma holders. They tend to be average do-it-yourselfer, learned most by poking. So it is very clear the knowledge of Microcontrollers, the next logical evolution of basic electronics, should be taken out of Universities and spread across the general public.
It is a shame that both education and supply of martial are both scares in local market, so this has much become a taught-subject even at university level, except Engineering faculties and few technical schools.
Simply put, 555 Timer IC became a huge hit, since of its versatility, so do 741 OP Amp. They were used in many different ways to achieve solutions for most common problems in circuit design while dropping component count onboard. In the same sense, a microcontroller can be used replacing many analog and logic components needed otherwise. PIC microcontrollers (by Microchip) has done the same revolution in 90ties where 555 revolutionized circuit design in 70ties. In another words, PIC made microcontroller based electronic design to reach the mass.

Open for questions and clarifications on the subject
If anybody wants PIC / ATMEL microcontrollers, SMD resistors and capacitors, I may help you out.
Kavee